


The Collection

by Emilia_Rowan



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alpha Kara Danvers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Attempted Sexual Assault, F/F, G!P Kara Danvers, Hand Jobs, Knotting, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Lena Luthor, Slow Burn, Smut, Supercorp endgame, bad choices are made for good reasons, extremely questionable ethics, more characters and relationships added, nonconsensual medical procedures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:21:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 70,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21685201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilia_Rowan/pseuds/Emilia_Rowan
Summary: Krypton is a dying planet. Desperate to save their world, Kryptonians come to Earth seeking humans to help repopulate their species. Every year women are taken from Earth to be mates for Kryptonian Alphas. This is known as the Collection.*check the tags before reading**this is an early unfinished version of the story, please find The Collection 2.0 and read that one, I just don’t want to delete this one permanently and lose all of the fun and lovely comments*
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Andrea Rojas/Russell Rogers, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 1458
Kudos: 4675





	1. Prologue & Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I had an idea and it wouldn’t let me go. So I decided to try my hand at an Alpha/Omega dynamic. Again, if that’s not your thing, don’t read, and don’t complain that you weren’t warned.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE NOTE:  
> This is not a complete fic! The Collection has been edited/rewritten and is now being posted as The Collection 2.0 at this link:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23047423/chapters/55120771
> 
> So please, if you're new to this, do not read this version, go to that version instead and start reading there because if you don't you will be very confused and probably very frustrated with me.  
> Thank you!

Prologue

The year was 2034 when the aliens arrived.

They appeared without warning, their massive, impenetrable gray space ships dominated the skyline above every major Earth city, including Metropolis, sending the media into a tailspin. The governments of the world argued back and forth on what to do, with some— the US— trying to fire on the ships, but nothing even breached the force fields that surrounded each ship, not even reaching the hulls made of an unearthly metal. The falling debris from the resulting explosions caused more damage to the humans and the surrounding structures than it did to the ships, so the attacks ceased, and thankfully the aliens didn’t retaliate.

The first contact came within hours of the ships’ arrivals. For days governments and organizations from around the world met to communicate with the aliens, but what the aliens wanted was kept closely under wraps. The talks lasted for two days, while the world waited and watched. Then, seventy-four hours after they arrived, news agencies around the globe simultaneously released an extremely scripted broadcast.

The aliens were from a planet called Krypton, but it had been abandoned after a biochemical weapon infected the atmosphere. The survivors lived on a smaller planet called Argo now. The Kryptonians were outwardly human in appearance, but with a slight difference. Beyond male and female, their planet had two biological roles— Alphas, the more dominant sex, and Omegas, the more submissive sex which carried their young; and alphas and omegas could be both male or female. However, now there were no omegas— all killed as a result of the weaponized virus that made their home planet uninhabitable. The remaining Alphas were long-lived, but their species was slowly dying off.

Scientists from all over the world came forward to assist the alien race. Some were even taken back to Argo, to continue studying there. For five years, Kryptonian and human scientists worked together to try to find a solution to their fertility problems, but even with the advanced science of the Kryptonians, their attempts to enable the alphas to carry offspring was in vain.

Five years after they arrived, the Kryptonian ships returned, and this time their demands had changed. They had been unsuccessful in impregnating their alphas, but they had succeeded in impregnating a human. Apparently one of the human female scientists had begun an affair with one of the Kryptonian alphas, and it had resulted in a viable pregnancy. Few other details were given, but the Kryptonians now saw a way to save their species— interbreeding with human females.

The impenetrable Kryptonian ships floated above every major city in the world yet again, and this time the weapons on their bows seemed even more apparent. Moreso, after years of interacting with the aliens, humans had learned that they had superhuman abilities— they couldn’t be harmed by gunfire or flame, they could run faster than a speeding bullet, their eyes shot rays of heat, and they could blow freezing blasts of air from their lungs.

Rumor was that they could even fly.

With their superhuman powers and advanced weaponry, the Kryptonians were not a race humanity was prepared to go to war against. And, government officials claimed, their demands were not all that preposterous after all— five million women, over a ten year time period. It wasn’t a drop in the bucket, according to scientists, not enough to affect the human species, but perhaps enough to save the Kryptonians.

The question then turned to how to select the women the aliens would take. There were a few volunteers from various parts of the world, but overall the prospect of going to an alien planet to be used as breeding chattel was not all that appealing. Each government set its own program to select women. In the end, even in the developed countries, it came down to money, some countries just tried to hide it more than others.

In the United States, women between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-eight were all required to submit genetic samples, undergo a psychological evaluation, and from the viable candidates a lottery system was put in place. Married women and those pursuing higher education were considered exempt from the lottery selection. This led to an increase in early marriages and women pursuing advanced degrees. If a woman was selected from the lottery, her family was financially compensated. Rumors spread about the system— that the government targeted bisexual women, that poor families were practically selling their daughters, and that rich families could pay off the system so that their daughters weren’t taken— but officials vehemently denied any such accusations.

Every year, on the anniversary of their arrival, the Kryptonians would return to collect the women who were chosen. The government and the media called it The Collection.

*****

Lena Luthor was ten years old when the Kryptonians arrived. The Luthors were in Metropolis, and she remembers staring up at the huge gray ships with a mixture of fear and wonderment. Lillian, her adoptive mother, had ushered her away from windows, cursing her childish curiosity, and they had huddled in the interior of the Luthor mansion for days.

Lionel had been one of the first to offer scientific aid to the Kryptonians. He wasn’t a scientist himself, but LuthorCorp had scientists from numerous fields working under its helm, from geologists to biochemists. He offered their aid at no cost, something his twenty-year-old son couldn’t fathom.

“Just imagine if it’s a LuthorCorp scientist who solves their problems, Lex,” Lionel exclaimed maniacally over dinner, his glass of scotch sloshing in his hand. “What would an advanced alien race be willing to share with the company who saved them? Better us than the government, that’s for damn sure.”

Lionel was dead by the time the Collection began— cirrhosis of the liver, not exactly a shocking cause of death. Lena was fifteen, and blissfully ignorant of any possibility she could be one of the women Collected. She was straight, after all, of course she was, and she was a _Luthor_. If the rumors around her boarding school were true, she could pay her way out of being Collected. So she didn’t worry.

Twenty-two year old Lena was a bit more realistic, particularly when she was summoned the day after her birthday to submit to the required genetic testing and psychological evaluation. Having her blood drawn didn’t really faze her, but then they led her to a separate room for the psychological evaluation, and a nurse approached her with a syringe filled with clear liquid.

“What’s that?” she demanded, even as her upper arm was cleaned with an alcohol wipe.

“Just a little something to make sure you’re truthful in your evaluation, Miss Luthor,” the nurse explained. “It makes you feel a bit out of sorts, but it burns out of your system in fifteen minutes or so.”

The liquid in the syringe burned as it spread through her arm, and she could almost feel it spreading through her entire body, a warm bubbly sensation. She felt light, colors looked brighter, and she clicked her tongue impatiently as she waited for the psychologist— a stiff-looking middle-aged man with dull brown eyes and a heavy brow.

She answered the questions as succinctly as possible.

“Full name?”

“Lena Kieran Luthor.”

“Age?”

“Twenty-two.”

“Are you currently in a romantic relationship?”

“Yes.”

“What is your partner’s name?”

“ _His_ name is Jack Spheer,” Lena said, and she tried to emphasize the pronoun but ended up slurring her words instead.

“Have you ever had a romantic or sexual relationship with a woman?”

“No,” Lena replied, but her tongue suddenly felt thick in her mouth and a dull burning sensation began in her throat.

“Have you ever had any romantic or sexual attraction toward a woman?”

The denial was on the tip of her tongue, but the burning sensation roared to life before she could speak. Lena’s mind was flooded with memories of Veronica, the older girl who had teased her mercilessly for how her gaze lingered on her in the classroom, memories of Taylor, the first girl she had a crush on in middle school, who she was sure Lillian paid to transfer to another school, and memories of her best friend since they were sixteen, Andrea, and the feelings she had when they were curled up together on the sofa, watching The Titanic and quoting it line for line.

“Y—yes,” she stuttered, and the burning ceased.

That was the day she decided she would continue her education. She had gotten two bachelor’s degrees by twenty, her first master’s at twenty-one, and had started working on a small start-up with Jack. Three days after her visit to the Collection Bureau, she broke up with Jack and returned to college to pursue yet another master’s degree, making herself ineligible for the Collection. It was just three more years, after all, and she could afford to stay in school for that long.

Then all hell broke loose.

She was twenty-four, and it was ten months before the last scheduled Collection when Lex was arrested. The brother she once adored had engineered a chemical that could harm Kryptonians— he called it Kryptonite— and had bombed half-a-dozen Collection Bureaus with the stuff, killing all humans and Kryptonians who worked in them. The death total was over sixty, and the governments were furious, driven by fear of Kryptonian retribution. The trial was swift, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Lillian took over LuthorCorp, and Lena returned to her studies. But it wasn’t three months later that Lillian was arrested for embezzlement, and Lena had a choice to make.

She could give up her family’s company, continue her studies, and be exempt from the Collection.

Or she could leave her studies and take up the helm at LuthorCorp, and risk her number being drawn in the final Collection.

It was her pride that made her decision. She was a Luthor, and she wasn’t about to give up on the company that had been in her family for generations. She left MIT for Metropolis and went to work trying to pull the company out of the hole her brother and adoptive mother had dug. After all, it was the last year of the Collection, what were the chances of her number being drawn?

Chapter One

Lena stared at the spreadsheets and reports in front of her with knitted brows, as if the numbers would conform to her wishes the same way her employees and board members bowed to her withering glare. But numbers were numbers, money was money, and there was no changing what was on the screens and papers she was reading.

LuthorCorp was failing.

In the six months since she had taken over as CEO of LuthorCorp, Lena had spent countless sleepless nights trying to find a way to save her family’s company. Her brother had sunk billions of dollars into his research into Kryptonite, and the government had seized any results from that without any recompense. What money was left, Lillian had funneled into offshore accounts that even Lena couldn’t access now that her mother was in jail. Lena was left with few choices— she could try to hold on, make some desperate maneuvers, and there was a slim possibility that the company might not go under, or she could use the company’s last remaining resources to give her employees quality severance packages and sell any remaining real estate to pay out the shareholders.

And though she took pride in her family’s company, Lena was leaning toward the second option.

Her head was throbbing and for a moment her vision blurred. Lena bowed her head and rubbed her temples. The headaches had started about the same time Lex was arrested, and only grew worse with each passing day. She even fainted during Lillian’s trial last month. She chalked it all up to stress and sleepless nights.

She was tired, so tired of fighting a battle she didn’t begin. Lex was supposed to be the CEO. She had always thought she would work in LuthorCorp’s research and development department, using her degrees in bioengineering and physics to create world-changing technologies. Instead she was using her business degree— the one she had only obtained at Lillian’s urging, oddly enough— and in a position she never wanted to hold.

“Miss Luthor?”

The voice over her intercom wasn’t particularly loud or harsh, but Lena cringed anyway as the sound pierced her ears. When she opened her eyes she blinked several times until the spots of light cleared from her vision.

“Yes, Jess?” she replied.

Nothing but static sounded over the intercom and before Lena could question it, the doors to her office burst open. Three men in black uniforms with yellow armbands and the letters USCB emblazoned across their chests stomped into the office, the sound of their heavy boots echoing against the stone floors.

_USCB._

_United States Collection Bureau._

Jess followed close behind her, but her approach to Lena was blocked by the burly arm of one of the Collection agents. “I’m sorry, Miss Luthor, they just—“

“Lena Kieran Luthor, under the authority of the United States Collection Bureau, I am here to escort you to the Metropolis North Collection Center for processing,” one of the agents said, his voice gentle in a way that contrasted with his militant appearance.

Lena’s brow crinkled, both in pain and confusion. “This isn’t normal protocol. The Collection isn’t scheduled to begin for another month. Do you have a writ of surrender?”

Lena knew the normal procedures for women chosen for the Collection well— she had seen two of her best friends taken in the past three years. A notification was delivered to them in person— an official writ of surrender. Once they were notified, they had until a certain date to report to a Collection Center for processing— final medical and psychological checks— before being surrendered to the Kryptonians. This gave the women some time to get their affairs in order before—

“You have been deemed a flight risk, Miss Luthor,” the agent replied. “With your assets, it was determined that there was a high chance that you would attempt to escape the Collection process once a writ of surrender was delivered.”

Well, they weren’t wrong about that, but these men didn’t need to know it.

“That’s absurd!” Lena exclaimed. “I am a law-abiding citizen. I believe in doing my civic duties. Besides, I am the head of a corporation with thousands of employees, I have affairs that need to be set in order, affairs that will affect the livelihoods of those thousands of employees. Give me a writ of surrender, allow me to get my affairs in order, and then I will surrender myself to the Collection Bureau when the time comes.”

“I’m afraid we can’t do that, Miss Luthor,” the man said. “Orders are orders. You can always press the matter when we arrive at the Collection Center, but we’re here to bring you in, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Lena swallowed hard. She knew the stories, knew that the Collection Centers were more inescapable than any maximum security prison. Once a woman was taken into a Center, the only way out was to board the Kryptonian ships. She glanced at Jess, who was still being blocked by one of the agents.

“Jess, I’m engaging Protocol X,” she said, her calm voice belying her true intentions.

The words had barely left her mouth when an electric hum filled the room and pale blue sheen obscured Lena’s vision of the opposite side of the office— a forcefield falling into place. One of the agents quickly drew his gun and fired— non-lethal tranquilizer darts, Lena knew— but the darts disintegrated when they hit the forcefield. Lena hurried across the room to the wall and pressed her palm against what looked like a small mirror, but was actually a scanner that not only read her handprint but also took DNA from her skin cells. An invisible panel opened in the wall and she slid inside, locking the mechanism behind her.

The escape hatch had been designed by Lex to elude authorities, but they had captured him when he was away from the office. Lena had never imagined she would use it, but in this moment she was very grateful that she knew the protocol.

She took a small elevator down to the ground floor where a room full of disguises— still mostly for men— was waiting. Lena didn’t have time to do much. She tucked her long hair up into a cap and pulled a dirty blonde wig onto her head, changed from her business suit into one of the plain gray scrub uniforms worn by researchers in the biomedical department, and slid a pair of dark-rimmed glasses on her face. She grabbed a coat with pockets full of emergency cash, and headed out the escape route into the lobby.

She could see more Collection agents in the lobby, and two were stationed at each door. They were all alert, inspecting everyone that walked by, but clearly trying not to raise an alarm. Lena fell in step behind a small group of researchers emerging from the regular elevators and kept her head turned slightly away from the agents as she passed, not low enough to stir suspicion, but obstructing her features enough to avoid detection. She followed them through the glass doors and a block down the street from the LuthorCorp office, only then allowing herself to breathe a small sigh of relief.

This wasn’t how she wanted it to go. She had arrangements in place— her own untraceable bank accounts, fake IDs and passports— but all of this was her last resort. Lena was certain that if she could just get to her lawyers, they could get her out of this. If the Collection Bureau wasn’t following protocol, there had to be something unscrupulous going on. If she could just find evidence, she’d have this whole thing—

“You shouldn’t have run.”

The low voice interrupted Lena’s thoughts with a start. She had been so lost in her thoughts, distracted by her still-pounding head, focused only on putting distance between herself and the USCB agents, that she didn’t notice the woman who had fallen into step beside her, though she wasn’t sure how.

The woman was tall and broad-shouldered beneath the thick wool coat she wore. She was beautiful with her blonde curls, tied back in a high ponytail, gleaming in the evening light, and her blue eyes sparkling brightly behind dark-rimmed glasses. She was stunning, really, almost inhuman.

_Oh._

“You’re Kryptonian,” Lena said, her voice low. She didn’t stop walking; instead her eyes darted about, looking for any escape route, though the rapid eye movements made small spheres of light appear in her vision.

The woman leveled her with a studious gaze. “They told me you were a genius, but I didn’t think you were that perceptive.”

“Why are you here?” Lena demanded. “This isn’t… This isn’t how things are supposed to go.”

“I’m here because you’re you,” the Kryptonian said. “And because I want you. And on my planet, an alpha takes what they want.”

Lena saw her chance and took it. She darted into traffic, narrowly avoiding a yellow taxi that skidded to a stop inches from her and blared its horn at her. The sound made her ears ring, but she didn’t stop. A black SUV swerved to miss her, just barely, and clipped the side of a red sedan, metal scraping against metal. A crunching sound alerted Lena to a bumper-to-bumper collision, but she didn’t look back to see what had happened. By some miracle she made it to the opposite side of the street unscathed, though the pounding in her head was almost unbearable. Her vision blurred, her ears rang, and her stomach churned in response to the pain. She shook her head, trying to clear her vision, as she hurried along the sidewalk, only to bump into what felt like a steel pylon wearing a wool coat.

“I’m sorry, I— _oh_ ,” Lena gasped, looking up into brilliant blue eyes as she strong arms wrapped around her swaying form. “Please, I don’t… I can pay you, whatever you want, just please don’t… Oh god.”

Her vision spun, blurring the woman in front of her until it was like there were two blondes in her mind’s eye. She shut her eyes tight, willing the world to right itself, for her to wake up and this all be a dream. Instead her legs collapsed beneath her, leaving strong arms the only thing holding her up.

“I’ve got you, Lena,” the Kryptonian said softly. “I’ve got you, _i zhao_.”

Lena lost consciousness to the soft murmurings of Kryptonese in her ear.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena wakes up on the Kryptonian ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update. Hopefully I’ll get a lot more written over Christmas break.

Lena awoke slowly, memories swirling through her head as consciousness returned. For a brief moment, she let herself hope that it might’ve all been a dream, and then she opened her eyes and reality flooded her senses.

She was in what appeared to be a generic bedroom suite. The room was large enough to hold a large bed, a simple desk, and a dresser. There was an open door that led to what looked like a bathroom, and two closed doors that led to who knows what. It looked something like a nice, modern hotel room, except there were no windows and the walls were made out of metal.

_I’m on a space ship._

Lena was just processing that bit of information when she realized something else— she was completely naked beneath the sheets. All sorts of horrifying possibilities flashed through her mind as she sat up in bed, holding the satiny-soft sheets to her chest and taking stock of her body. She wasn’t sore anywhere— in fact, physically she felt better than she had in months— so perhaps rape wasn’t a concern. Yet. She needed to find clothes and a weapon. She might not be able to overpower a Kryptonian, but no way in hell was she going down without a fight.

Suddenly one of the closed doors slid open with a hiss. Lena tightened her grip on the sheet, as if it would somehow shield her, but what came through the door was not what she expected. Instead of a Kryptonian, or even a human, a robot floated through the doorway. It was humanoid in shape, though it had no legs, with mechanical arms and wide head with what appeared to be a glowing gold energy core where a face would be.

“Can I be of any assistance, Miss Luthor?” the robot asked with a mechanical voice.

Lena’s eyes widened at the sound. “What… What are you?”

“I am Kelex, a Kryptonian service robot,” the robot replied.

“Where am I?” Lena asked.

“You are on a Kryptonian interstellar freight ship,” the robot told her. “You are in the private quarters of Lady Kara of the House of El.”

“Right,” Lena breathed, looking around once again. She assumed that was the name of the blonde Kryptonian she remembered from Earth. “Um… Where is she? Lady Kara?”

“Lady Kara is attending to duties on the ship’s flight deck,” Kelex replied. “I was instructed to watch over you and provide any assistance should you awaken. Would you like to bathe?”

“I— What?” Lena stammered, confused by the sudden change of subject.

“Would you like to bathe? You have been unconscious for thirty-eight hours and nineteen minutes. In my experience, humans find it refreshing to tend to their personal hygiene after that length of time. While you bathe I can find clothes for you, if you would like,” Kelex volunteered.

“That… That would be great,” Lena agreed. At least she could get clothes before she had to deal with the aliens.

“This way, Miss Luthor,” Kelex said, gesturing to the open door.

Lena looked down at herself, uncertain about her nakedness, but then resolved that this was an alien so modesty was probably moot. She followed it into the other room, which was a sleek but small bathroom. A transparent glass-like panel separated the shower from the rest of the room. There was a large spray head but no visible controls.

“Calibrate water pressure and temperature to human comfort,” Kelex said before Lena could ask. Water immediately began flowing from the shower head. “Cleanser for your hair and body can be found stored below the shower head. I will now go to retrieve a towel and clothes for you to use afterward, if that is all, Miss Luthor.”

“Yes, that’s all,” Lena replied. “Erm… Thank you, Kelex.”

“You are welcome, Miss Luthor,” the robot replied, and Lena actually thought the mechanical voice sounded pleased with her gratitude.

Lena stepped into the spray, letting the warm water wash away the feeling of grunge off her skin. She checked her body over as she washed, but found no signs of injury. In a small alcove beneath the shower head she found full bottles of her usual shampoo and conditioner. Lena refused to dwell on how the Kryptonians knew her favorite brands and scents. She also found a bottle with Kryptonian symbols on the side, which she assumed to be body wash, but the honey-like substance inside didn’t lather as she spread it across the skin, rather it tingled slightly, like mint toothpaste, but once washed away her skin felt smooth and fresh.

Once she was finished washing herself, Kelex returned with a towel and turned off the water. It also instructed her on how to rinse her mouth with a liquid that would clean her teeth and mouth in lieu of brushing her teeth. The towel not only dried her skin, but with a gentle rub through it wicked most of the moisture from her hair, leaving it in soft waves around her shoulders. Spread out on the bed she found simple underwear, a pair of jeans, and an unearthly soft cream-colored sweater. The clothes all fit perfectly, even the bra and panties, and Lena didn’t want to think about why that might be.

“Miss Luthor,” Kelex said, its mechanical voice pulling Lena from her thoughts. “If you are finished dressing, Lady Kara has finished her duties and is waiting in the next room. She has brought a meal to share with you.”

Lena swallowed hard. She glanced around the room, looking for anything that she might use as a weapon, but her perfunctory search came up empty. She steeled herself, smoothing down the front of the sweater, and followed Kelex toward the closed door which slid open at her approach.

The next room was also simple and as generic as the bedroom. One wall curved slightly, and a large sofa that also curved fit into that space. Across from that was a round meal table surrounded by four chairs. And seated in one of the chairs was a familiar Kryptonian.

Her hair was still as brilliant gold as Lena remembered, but instead of being swept back, it now fell in loose curls that framed her face. Instead of human clothes, the Kryptonian wore a tight-fitting navy bodysuit with red and gold trim, with an S-shaped sigil sewn over her left shoulder. The glasses she had worn were also missing, and Lena found piercing blue eyes eyeing her warily, as one might watch an animal that could bolt or bite at any moment.

“Hello, Lena,” she said, her voice soft. “How are you feeling?”

“I— What?” Lena stuttered. She wasn’t sure what she expected from the Kryptonian, but it wasn’t soft concern.

“Are you feeling well? Physically?” the blonde asked, and her brow crinkled as she looked Lena up and down.

“Yes, I suppose, I—“ Lena swallowed hard and straightened her back, assuming the authoritative stance she wore in the boardroom, or when facing her unscrupulous family members. “I demand to be released and returned to Earth at once. Legal protocol was not followed in the process of my Collection. I need to contact my lawyers at Shapert and Grant, they will negotiate my release.”

The Kryptonian’s face fell. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. While you are correct that your Collection was not standard protocol, it was done with the authorization of the United States Collection Bureau and the Secretary of the Collection, making it perfectly legal. Also, it is illegal for any human who has undergone Kryptonian genetic modification to return to Earth.”

Lena’s eyes widened in shock. “Genetic modification? What have you done to me?”

“Females who are gathered during the Collection must undergo genetic modification in order to reproduce with their chosen Kryptonian mates,” she explained. “It’s a completely harmless procedure, it simply changes your reproductive cycle—“

“I don’t care if you think it’s harmless!” Lena exclaimed. “You’ve taken me from my planet and performed irreversible medical procedures without my consent! How dare you! Who are you to—“

“My name is Kara of the House of El,” the woman interjected, as if that would help.

Lena stepped forward, fury overpowering her common sense, and dug her finger angrily into the Kryptonian’s chest. “And who are you, Kara of the House of El, that you have the right to make decisions like that for me?”

Kara stood up straighter at that, grabbing Lena firmly but gently by the wrist. Lena tried to jerk her hand back, but her hold just tightened, reminding Lena that the Kryptonian was controlling strength that could easily crush the bones of her wrist in her grasp. A shiver of fear raced down her spine as she looked up at sapphire eyes.

“I am Lady Kara of the Royal House of El, daughter of Zor-El and Alura In-Ze, granddaughter of the late King Seyg-El, cousin to the current King Kal-El,” Kara said, her voice fierce and proud. “And I am to be your mate.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena meets Kelly. Some questions are answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did she really post two chapters in one day?
> 
> Yes, yes I did. Probably should’ve just combined them but meh. I didn’t think I would get this much done today.

Lena stared at the plate in front of her, unwilling to raise her head to look at the Kryptonian in the seat beside her. Kara’s ire had only lasted a moment after her outburst, and she had transformed from the prideful, fearsome alien to a stuttering, bumbling woman. She was downright gentle as she led Lena to a chair and presented a metal tray of food to her, rambling off an explanation of each dish and its ingredients. Lena only half listened, still trying to formulate a plan in her head.

“Eat, please,” Kara said finally, her voice soft and beseeching again. “You need your strength.”

“I’m not hungry,” Lena insisted, though she picked up her fork and began prodding at the main dish— some kind of braised meat with a thick sauce. Lena’s stomach growled loudly, contradicting her words, but she honestly thought that if she tried to eat anything, her food would make an unfortunate reappearance shortly afterward.

“Lena, a hunger strike will not cause us to send you home,” Kara said sternly. “You wouldn’t be the first human to try it.”

That got Lena’s attention. She raised her head and glared at the Kryptonian. “And what will you do if I refuse to eat? Force feed me?”

Kara sighed. “It is our duty to care for our mates, even if they will not care for themselves. So yes, I would take you to the medical wing and have nutrition forced into your system. But I would rather not have to do that. I don’t want to force you to do anything.”

Lena snorted. “Forgive me if I don’t believe that, your track record speaks for itself. So far you’ve forced me to leave my home planet, you’re keeping me on a spaceship against my will, you plan to take me to your planet against my will, and you intend to rape me until I bear your children—“

A deep rumble came from Kara’s chest and she slammed her fists into the table, making the utensils shake against their plates, before rising to tower over Lena.

“You dare—“

“Yes, I dare!” Lena exclaimed, standing as well. Kara still had several inches of height on her, but she glared up at her anyway. Perhaps it wasn’t wise, provoking a being that was clearly much stronger than her, but Lena’s anger was beyond reason. “I’ve said nothing but the truth!”

“You know nothing!” Kara growled— she actually growled. “You know nothing of us, or of how we treat our mates. Omegas are treasured, they are respected—“

“Perhaps the Kryptonian definition of respect is different than the one on Earth,” Lena interjected. “I certainly wouldn’t kidnap someone I respected, nor perform medical procedures on them without their consent. I wouldn’t take them from the only home they’ve ever known and forbid them from returning.”

“That part was not our decision,” Kara insisted. “It was the governments of Earth that decided to send women to us with or without their consent, who decided to forbid women who mated Kryptonians from returning to Earth.”

That gave Lena pause. “You— No, it can’t be. Why would they?”

Kara took a deep breath, calming herself. “When we first discovered that Kryptonians and humans could interbreed, Kryptonians proposed a sort of exchange program— Kryptonians could visit Earth, and humans could visit Krypton, and those who met someone they were compatible with and wished to mate could undergo the genetic modification process and remain wherever they wished. But the humans in power were afraid that Kryptonians would eventually overtake humans— either by force or by sheer numbers, although the latter would take many generations to occur. So they banned Kryptonians from Earth, except under very limited circumstances, and proposed the Collection system instead. We were desperate, and so we agreed.”

“If Krypton has such powerful weapons, why not insist the humans do it your way?” Lena asked.

“War with another planet is what got us into this mess in the first place,” Kara said simply. “We do not wish to have another. We hoped to have peace with Earth, and that eventually they would come to see things our way.”

Kara stepped away from the table, toward the curved sofa, and turned her back to Lena. “I know this is… difficult. I wish things were different, but I cannot change the system your world has in place.”

Kara pressed her palm against the wall above the sofa and suddenly the surface changed. Instead of solid gray, it looked like a large window, and outside…

Lena had seen photos of Earth from space, but it was nothing like seeing the real thing. They were on the nighttime side of the planet, and golden lights illuminated the blackness while sunlight streamed around from the other side of the globe. It was hauntingly beautiful, and it filled Lena with a sense of awe and bitterness.

“Try to accept this,” Kara said quietly. “You have no choice.”

“Fuck that,” Lena murmured.

Before she could really think through her decision, she grabbed the metal tray from the table in front of her and hurled it, food and all, at the back of the alien’s head. The metal struck with a crash, and food splattered all over the back of her uniform and stuck in her long blonde hair. A low growl sounded, and Kara turned toward her, but Lena grabbed her glass of water and threw that as well, striking the alien in the chest and splashing water into her face and all down her front. Kara sputtered and wiped her eyes, giving Lena a chance to run toward the door, except there was no knob.

“Oh, fuck,” Lena murmured. _How do you open the damn thing?_ “Open!”

The door slid back into the wall, revealing a long hallway. Lena glanced around, but there was no one in either direction. She wondered which way she should go, which direction would take her to some way off the ship.

“Lena!” Kara growled from behind her, and that made up her mind.

Lena took off to the left at a run, heart pounding in her chest. She had no doubt Kara could catch up with her— if their enhanced strength wasn’t a myth, it was likely that their superhuman speed was also true. She came to another corner and turned, then another, twisting her way through the ship through winding corridors lined with endless doors that led to goodness knows what. Finally she emerged from the hallway into what looked like a large den, with chairs and sofas spread around the room.

A shout echoed from the hallway behind Lena and she scrambled through the room toward another hallway, but once there she could hear more voices coming her way. She looked around the room, desperate for any place to hide. A large desk was positioned in the corner, and Lena ducked behind and beneath it, huddled amongst the chair legs. If she just stayed quiet and they didn’t notice her, she could make another run for it once the room was empty.

The voices grew louder, and finally Lena saw legs from beneath the desk. She stayed as still as possible as two sets of feet crossed the room. The two strangers spoke in a language Lena didn’t understand, but she assumed it was Kryptonese. Lena wondered if Kryptonians had superhuman hearing as well, if they could hear her heartbeat. She held her breath in an attempt to make even less noise, just in case.

“Lena?”

A pair of legs stopped right beside Lena’s hiding place. She squeezed her arms around her bent knees. _No, no, just keep walking._

The legs bent, and the woman crouched down beside the desk. She peered through the chair legs with soft brown eyes until she caught Lena’s gaze.

“Hi, Lena,” she said softly. “Can I join you?”

“Kelly!” another voice admonished from the opposite side of the desk.

“It’s okay, Alex,” the woman named Kelly replied to the standing figure before looking back at Lena. “I’m not going to hurt you. Can I join you under there?”

“You’re not going to force me to go back to Kara?” Lena asked instead of replying.

“I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” Kelly assured her. “I know what that’s like.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “You’re human.”

Kelly nodded. Lena pushed a chair out of the way and Kelly crawled under the desk to sit just a few inches away. Another pair of legs took her place at the opening and Lena startled.

“It’s okay, that’s my mate, Alex,” Kelly reassured her. “She’s just here to make sure we’re safe, that’s all.”

Lena nodded into her knees. “Please, I just want to go back to Earth. I have a job there, important things to do. I can’t just leave. I don’t want to be here. I can pay you, whatever you want, I just need a way back.”

Kelly shook her head. “There is no way back, Lena. Even if you managed to get off this ship, the human government would send you back.”

Lena looked away from Kelly and blinked the moisture away from her eyes. She wouldn’t cry over this. She was a Luthor. She was stronger than that.

“Listen, I’m a therapist,” Kelly told her. “I can’t replace what’s been taken away from you, but I can help you adjust.”

“Adjust?” Lena spat. “Fuck adjusting. I don’t want to be here and I’ll be damned if I’m going to just be complacent and accept my lot. I may not be able to go back but I’m not going to become some broodmare for an alien.”

Kelly’s expression hardened. “Is that really what you think we all are? Because I’m here to tell you, that’s not the case. I love my mate. I have a good life on Argo. I help people just like I would have on Earth. And yes, I want to have children with my mate, but she respects me and loves me for who I am as a person, not just a walking womb. None of the Kryptonians treat their mates the way you’re describing, and if you’d give them a chance, you would see that.”

“I don’t want to give them a chance,” Lena huffed.

Kelly studied her for a moment. “That’s your decision. The facts are, you’re here, and you’re not going back to Earth. You can either make it difficult for yourself, or you can at least have an open mind and learn more about your new home, like it or not. The latter will be a much more rewarding option, I can assure you of that.”

Kelly scooted out from under the desk, then turned back and offered Lena her hand. Lena stared for a long moment, then took the hand with a sigh and followed Kelly out from beneath the desk. The human woman smiled at her.

“Lena, this is my mate, Alex,” Kelly said, gesturing to the Kryptonian woman who stood a few steps away. She was lithe, clearly strong, with short auburn hair. She wore a black uniform much like Kara’s, but a different symbol was embroidered over her shoulder. The same symbol, Lena noted, was on a necklace that hung around Kelly’s neck.

“Hello,” Lena said hesitantly, and Alex nodded in reply but didn’t speak. Lena looked back at Kelly. “I’m… tired.”

“Not surprising,” Kelly nodded. “You’ve had a rough time of it. We can escort you back to Kara’s quarters, if you would like?”

“Couldn’t I have my own quarters?” Lena asked.

Kelly frowned. “You’re an unbonded Omega now, Lena. You need an Alpha’s protection. Kara is strong and she has a high status. I know you don’t trust her yet, but I know her well. She’s an honorable woman. She won’t hurt you.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Lena said, biting her lip. “I threw food at her.”

Beside them Alex chuckled, surprising Lena. Kelly just grinned.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she assured Lena. “Kara is proud, but she wouldn’t hurt an Omega.”

Lena wasn’t so sure about that, but she didn’t see another option at the moment. She walked beside Kelly and they followed Alex through the winding halls— the crew quarters, Kelly explained— back to the room she was to share with the Kryptonian.

“Here we are,” Kelly said. “I’d like to talk to you more, Lena, if you would like that. Just tell Kelex if you’d like to hang out sometime, and it will get the message to me.”

“Thank you,” Lena replied. “I think I’d like that.”

“Open,” Alex said, and the door in front of them slid open. Lena glanced inside and caught a glimpse of blonde hair on the sofa. She gave one last look at Alex and Kelly before stepping through. The door shut behind her before she could tell them goodbye.

Lena took a deep breath as she looked at the Kryptonian on the sofa. She had a thin tablet in her hands, and had yet to look up from it at Lena. She had changed from her uniform into what looked like a white t-shirt and loose gray pants, and her hair was darker, still damp from being washed. Lena approached slowly, but Kara still didn’t look up, not even when Lena cleared her throat.

“I, um…” Lena began, thrown off by the lack of eye contact. “I’m sorry I threw my food at you. And my water. I’m _not_ sorry I ran, though. I think that’s perfectly reasonable, given the circumstances. But I… I won’t do it again.”

A shudder passed through the Kryptonian’s shoulders and before Lena could blink she had dropped the tablet onto the sofa and raced to Lena’s side. She wrapped Lena in her arms and hugged her fiercely, burying her nose in Lena’s dark hair and inhaling deeply.

“Promise me,” Kara said, her voice low. “Promise me you won’t run again.”

“I— I promise,” Lena stammered.

“It is my duty to protect you,” Kara explained. “Not knowing where you were, not being able to protect you if any other Alpha found you… Gods, I have never known panic like that. When Alex messaged me that she and Kelly found you, I was so relieved.”

Lena swallowed hard. “I— I’m sorry I worried you.”

Suddenly Kara pulled back and released Lena from her embrace. Lena found she missed the warmth, but she beat that thought back into the recesses of her brain.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have touched you without your consent!” Kara exclaimed. “I didn’t mean… I was just so relieved. From now on I promise not to touch you without your consent.”

Lena’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

Kara nodded. “Yes, of course. I… I realize how much I’ve taken from you already, Lena, and I regret causing you pain. I can’t change any of that now but, going forward, I want to try to make things better.”

“Thank you,” Lena replied softly. “That… That means a lot.”

Suddenly Lena yawned, unable to stop herself. Kara looked at her with unabashed affection.

“You must be exhausted,” the Kryptonian said. “I took the liberty of laying out some sleep clothes for you. I hope that’s alright.”

“That’s fine,” Lena replied. _At least I’m not expected to sleep naked._ She followed Kara to the bedroom where she found clothes similar to what the Kryptonian was wearing— except Lena’s pants were navy blue— spread out on the bedspread. Lena retreated to the bathroom to pee and change clothes.

When she emerged, Kara was already in the bed, covers pulled up to her waist. Lena froze mid-stride.

“Where, um… Oh,” Lena said, and she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks in spite of herself. Of course. These were Kara’s quarters, after all, and Kara’s bed. Where else would the Kryptonian sleep.

“I can sleep on the couch, if you’d prefer,” Kara said quickly, throwing back the covers.

“No, that’s… You shouldn’t have to do that,” Lena insisted. “You already promised, right? And it’s a big bed.”

Kara practically beamed. “Yes, I promised. You can trust me.”

Perhaps it was exhaustion, or shock from the day’s events, but Lena found herself crawling beneath the covers beside the Kryptonian. They each stuck to the edge of the bed, leaving almost two feet of space between them. Kara turned off the lights and shuffled a bit to get comfortable, but true to her word, she stayed on her half of the bed and didn’t touch Lena. Lena laid there, staring at the ceiling, until the faint sound of snoring drifted to her ears and lulled her into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena forms a plan and learns more about Kara and Kryptonians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned to have more in this chapter, but this Kara/Lena interaction ended up longer than I anticipated so... here we are.

Kryptonians rose with the sunrise, and so the lights on the ship were programmed to mimic the soft reddish-gold hue of early morning. As the light increased, Kara stirred, rolling over and burying her head into her pillow with a groan.

Lena would’ve found it endearing under different circumstances.

She had been awake for several hours already. Her body had grown used to long days and sleepless nights, and though she often loathed rising early, now it gave her time to think. And a Luthor with time to think was a dangerous thing.

Running away had been foolish, but Lena blamed adrenaline and pure instinct. She wasn’t going to get off this spaceship and returned to Earth by such basic methods. A hunger strike was out of the question as well, based on what Kara had said the night before, and Lena figured she would need her strength for whatever escape plan she devised.

She needed more data. She needed to learn more about the inner workings of the Kryptonian ship, to learn how they transported the humans from the Collection centers on Earth to the ships above— nobody had ever seen any vehicles travel between the Kryptonian vessels and the Earth’s surface. She needed a way to contact people on Earth who could ensure that she wouldn’t be immediately returned to the Kryptonians should she manage to escape, or who would fight to get her returned to Earth legally— she wasn’t about to accept what Kara told her about her Collection being legal as the truth, and even if it was legal, her brother had taught Lena that there were always loopholes in the laws.

The best way to get what she needed, Lena surmised, wasn’t through haughty demands, nor through stubborn refusals: it was to make them trust her. If she could make her captors trust her, Lena was certain she could twist them into providing her with the things she needed to escape.

So she would be submissive and acquiescent. She would make them believe that she was trying to accept this, that she was just trying to learn about this new alien culture that she was to be a part of. She could play that part. At least until she had a way out.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

The soft, sleepy voice pulled Lena out of her thoughts. She turned toward Kara hesitantly, schooling her features into passivity.

“Good morning,” she said softly.

Kara smiled broadly. “Good morning to you. How are you feeling?”

Lena frowned, remembering that Kara had asked her the same question when she awakened the day before. “I feel fine. Why do you keep asking that?”

“Oh, well, I just… You’ve been through an ordeal, and underwent the genetic modification process while you were unconscious,” Kara explained. “I just wanted to make sure you’re not feeling any side effects. Nausea, headache, dizziness… Anything like that?”

Lena shook her head. “No, I feel fine. Better than I have in months, actually.”

Kara exhaled a breath Lena hadn’t realized she was holding. “Good, that’s… That’s good.”

The air between them, over the wide expanse of bed that separated them, felt heavy and awkward. Lena shifted beneath the covers, unsure of what to say. The awkwardness continued as they danced around each other in preparation for the day, Kara dressing in the closet while Lena brushed her hair and cleaned her teeth. Lena found her clothes from the night before folded neatly beside the bed, and began to take them to the bathroom to change when Kara emerged.

“You have more clothes, you know, if you’d like to pick out something else,” Kara told her. “Would you like to see?”

She followed Kara into the closet, where she directed her to multiple racks and shelves of clothes that were all in Lena’s size.

“I didn’t know what you might like,” Kara said sheepishly as Lena thumbed through the selection.

“It’s fine, Kara,” Lena assured her, though inside her stomach was in knots. “Thank you.”

Kara beamed at her words. “Well, you can wear whatever you like. I’ll go prepare breakfast while you change.”

She left Lena alone in the closet, and Lena finally released the shudder that she was holding back. Her captor had obviously prepared for her arrival, looking at the wide selection of clothes. That thought sent warning bells through Lena’s head, and she wondered just how long her abduction had been planned. She shook the thoughts from her mind— she couldn’t focus on that yet— and shuffled through the racks, choosing clothes that felt comfortable and easy to move in. Then she stiffened her spine and made her way to the other room.

_You can do this._

Kara was seated at the table, with several platters laid out in front of her. Kelex hovered nearby, saying something in Kryptonese that Lena couldn’t understand. She added learning the alien language to her mental to-do list.

“Miss Luthor, your breakfast,” Kelex said after a moment, gesturing to a seat and floating away.

“Thank you, Kelex,” she said, taking the seat catty corner to where Kara sat.

“I made sure to select some American Earth foods so you would be more comfortable,” Kelex continued. “But also the Kryptonian fruits and sausage are reportedly very popular among the crew’s mates.”

“I’ll be sure to try some,” Lena assured the robot, before spooning various foods onto her plate. The food from Earth appeared to be scrambled eggs and pancakes, which Lena was pleasantly surprised to find went well with the sweet green syrupy fruit and Kryptonian sausage. She was halfway finished with her plate when she glanced up and caught Kara watching her with a soft but intent expression. Lena swallowed hard and wiped her face. “What?”

“I’m just… happy to see you’re eating,” Kara said earnestly. “Do you like it?”

“It’s very good,” Lena replied honestly. “Normally my breakfast on Earth was just an energy bar and some coffee, so this is quite nice. Although I would kill for some coffee.”

“Kelex?” Kara said quickly.

“I shall fetch a pot of coffee for Miss Luthor, Lady Kara,” the robot replied before zooming out of the room.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Lena told Kara.

“I want you to have everything you want,” Kara replied earnestly.

_Except for my freedom_ , Lena thought, but she swallowed the bitter thought. “Well, thank you.”

“I have duties to attend to today,” Kara told her. “But I do have something for you to pass the time.” She rose and picked up a tablet off the sofa and offered it to Lena. “This is programmed to unlock for your facial features and voice patterns. I’m sure you’ll figure out its interface easily. Use it to research our planet, and our people. I hope it will answer any of your questions, but you can also ask me, or Kelex. And Kelly can visit anytime, she’s a wonderful resource for women who have been Collected. Not to mention she’s family.”

“Wait, what?” Lena asked.

Kara flushed. “Oh, well, not by blood, obviously. Kelly’s mate Alex is my sister. Well, adoptive sister. So Kelly’s kind of my… um…” Kara murmured something in Kryptonese. “Sister-by-law! That’s the word, right?”

“Sister- _in_ -law,” Lena corrected. “You were very close. Your English is very good.”

Kara beamed at her praise. “All Kryptonians learned English and Mandarin, as they are the most widely-spoken languages on Earth. I also learned Japanese, French, and Russian, and I’ve been working on Irish.”

“Those… Those are the languages I speak,” Lena said, trying to hide the nervous twitter in her voice.

“I know,” Kara said proudly. “I wanted to speak with you in whatever language you felt most comfortable, though I thought it was probably English since that is your native language. But I’ve always enjoyed learning new languages.”

“How many languages do you speak total?” Lena asked curiously.

“Hmm… Well, if you count Irish— which I’m not sure you should, honestly, I’m still quite rough— I speak ten languages,” Kara replied proudly.

“That’s impressive,” Lena said honestly. “Can humans learn Kryptonese?”

Kara’s eyes widened. “You want to learn my language?”

“I mean, if that’s okay,” Lena backpedaled. She might’ve stuck her foot in her mouth. If it made Kara suspicious…

“No, that would be great!” Kara exclaimed happily. “Not many mates care to learn our language, that’s all. It’s quite difficult… and there may be some sounds that human vocal cords cannot physically make, to be honest. But if you’d like to learn it, I can have the software installed on the tablet, and I can help you in the evenings.”

Lena blinked slowly at Kara. Could it really be that easy? Her captor was like an overeager puppy, jumping at any chance to please Lena. The contrast made her head spin.

The door slid open again and Kelex entered, carrying a tray laden with a steaming pot of coffee, mugs, and many different kinds of creamers and sweeteners. It placed the tray beside Lena.

“Coffee, Miss Luthor,” it announced unnecessarily.

“Thank you, Kelex,” Lena replied. She took a mug and poured her coffee, mixing just a bit of vanilla creamer before taking a sip. “Mmm, that’s good.”

“May I try?” Kara asked.

Lena nodded and offered Kara her cup. “Here, take a sip of mine and tell me if you like it, or if you want it sweeter.”

Kara sniffed the brew hesitantly before taking a tentative sip. She held the hot liquid in her mouth for a moment before swallowing, then her face contorted into a dramatic gag.

“Ick!” the Kryptonian exclaimed. “It’s so bitter! How do you drink that?”

Lena chuckled. “It’s an acquired taste, I suppose. But you can add more creamer and sweetener, if you’d like.”

Kara grabbed the other mug from the tray and began mixing her own concoction. Lena wasn’t sure how much of it was actually coffee, as Kara stirred in vanilla, hazelnut, and mocha creamers and enough sugar to send a diabetic into a coma. She took a tentative sip before closing her eyes and humming in pleasure.

“Mmm, now that’s good,” she said. “Wanna try?”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Lena replied. “I did want to ask you something. Last night, Kelly said something about me being an unbonded Omega and needing an Alpha’s protection. What does that mean? Would the Alphas on the ship hurt me? Would they...”

A fierce growl erupted from Kara’s throat. “I would kill them if they touched you.”

Gone was the puppy from earlier, replaced by a vicious wolf that could and would tear any threat limb from limb. Kara’s eyes blazed and her muscles tensed. Lena slowly placed her mug on the table and scooted back in her chair, putting distance between herself and the angry Kryptonian.

Kara’s eyes followed her movements, then widened. She took a deep breath and relaxed, almost deflating in front of Lena’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” she said softly. “It’s just… I’m very protective of you. The thought of someone hurting you or forcing you, it makes my blood boil.”

Kara shook her head and took another sip of her sugary coffee concoction. “To answer your question, under normal circumstances, no, none of the Alphas would hurt you. We have laws in place protecting Omegas, and to do so would be to forfeit their lives. But… What do you know about Kryptonian biology and mating cycles?”

Lena scooted back closer to the now-calm Kryptonian. “Not much. I know even female Alphas have a penis, if that’s what you mean.”

Kara’s cheeks flushed. “Well, yes, but… More than that. Every four months or so Alphas go through a mating cycle called rut. For about four days their hormones surge and instinct drives them to mate nearly constantly. It’s… It’s damn near unbearable, to be honest. We track our cycles and take suppressants in an attempt to control them, but sometimes being around an unbonded Omega can trigger an Alpha to go into an unscheduled rut. And if one of the Alphas on the ship did that because they were around you, it would be much harder for them to control their actions. While they might never harm you or take you against your will while in their right mind, their hormones might drive them over the edge. So it’s much safer for you to remain here, at least until we’re bonded.”

“And when will that happen?” Lena asked.

“Whenever you are ready,” Kara replied. “As I promised you last night, Lena, I won’t touch you without your consent. That includes mating and bonding with you. I won’t do it until you ask me to.”

_It’ll be a cold day in hell before that happens_ , Lena thought, but all she said aloud was, “Thank you for that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I realize a LOT of what Kara says seems to be EXTREMELY contradictory to her actions thus far, but I swear THERE IS A REASON and I’m going to reveal it soon-ish.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena learns more about Krypton’s history, more about Kelly, and more about Kara.

Kara left for her duties, whatever they were, after they had finished breakfast, leaving Lena alone save for the Kelex robot clearing away the remains of their breakfast. She took the tablet and made herself comfortable on the sofa, settling in for a few hours of learning about the Kryptonians.

“Kelex, can you make the wall change to the view of Earth the way Kara did?” she asked.

“Yes, Miss Luthor,” the robot responded, and the metallic surface instantly changed to show Earth, its vibrant blues and greens obscured only by a smattering of white clouds.

Lena used it as motivation.

The tablet Kara had given her immediately opened to a series of modules with information about Kryptonians and their planet, as well as the Collection process and all that it entailed. While she had no intention of remaining with the Kryptonians, Lena couldn’t suppress her natural curiosity— she wanted to know everything about these people. She skimmed over the titles before settling on just going through in the order they were listed.

She clicked on the first link, titled “History of Krypton” and settled back for a mixture of reading, images, videos, and recordings.

Four hours and a dozen modules later, Lena knew one thing for certain: The Kryptonians were a dying race, and it was their own damn fault.

——

Krypton had once been a thriving planet. They had overcome centuries of civil wars to become a harmonious civilization, ruled by one royal house: The House of El. But unlike many other planets which placed their greatest warriors at their helm, the ruling House of Krypton were some of the greatest scientific minds in the galaxy. The planet thrived in its pursuit of scientific knowledge, becoming great intergalactic explorers, and colonizing many planets over the centuries.

One such colony planet was Daxam. Centuries ago the colonists there had separated themselves from Kryptonian rule, creating their own royal dynasty from a warrior House. Krypton had negotiated peace with the smaller colony— as long as they continued offering resources to Krypton and kept peace, they could rule themselves however they saw fit.

Of course, such peace treaties rarely ever last. To fuel their space travel, Krypton required a particular ore they mined from deep inside their planet. Centuries of mining, however, had not only depleted their supply of ore but left the core of the planet unstable. But that didn’t stop their drive for progress. So Krypton demanded that the Daxamites begin mining ore from their own planet and send it to Krypton as tax for keeping the peace.

But Daxam had grown stronger, more populous, and where Krypton’s scientific research had been aimed at space exploration and discovery, Daxam’s science was used to develop weapons. So when Krypton’s king sent his demands, the Daxamite queen refused, and the war between the planets began.

For ten years the Daxamites and Kryptonians waged interplanetary war, nearly destroying each other in the process. Daxam had stronger weapons, and an army of slaves with no choice but to die for their planet, but Krypton had more allies. Ten years into the war, Daxam called for a truce, even sending a shipment of ore to Krypton as a peace offering.

It was a Trojan Horse. The ship carrying the ore was laced with a bio-weapon, a virus that spread rapidly and attacked the reproductive system of Kryptonian omegas. Within months every Kryptonian capable of carrying young was dead, their population depleted by half. The war ended abruptly, and Krypton was faced with what appeared to be unavoidable extinction.

The Kryptonians made one final, desperate choice for survival. They mined as much ore as they could from Krypton before abandoning the now-unstable planet and rebuilding their society on a smaller planet called Argo. They used the ore to fuel their exploration even deeper into space in a desperate search for a species they could interbreed with in order to save their species.

And they found Earth.

——

“Miss Luthor?”

Lena jumped at the sound of Kelex’s voice, only then realizing she had drifted off to sleep on the sofa, the tablet precariously balanced in the bend of her arm.

“Would you like me to fetch you lunch, Miss Luthor?” Kelex asked.

“Oh, um, yes, that would be great,” she said, reaching up to rub her eyes.

“Also, Lady Kara would like me to encourage you to speak with Kelly Olsen,” the robot continued. “I could invite her to share lunch with you, if you would like.”

Lena bit her lip. Part of her was still a bit upset with how flippantly Kelly had brushed off her anger about being collected, but a bigger part of her knew Kelly was the only accessible human she could speak with to learn more about her situation.

“Yes, Kelex, invite her,” she decided.

Lena took a few minutes to freshen up, and by the time she was finished Kelex had returned with two plates of food.

“Miss Olsen will arrive momentarily,” Kelex informed her.

“Thank you, Kelex,” Lena said, taking a seat at the dining table.

“My pleasure, Miss Luthor,” the robot said.

Lena had just finished inspecting the food Kelex had brought when another robotic voice announced that Kelly was outside the door.

“Um… let her in?” Lena said, and the doorway opened and Kelly stepped through carrying a small plate in her hands. Lena immediately put on her best fake Luthor-hostess smile. “Hello, Kelly.”

“Hi,” the other woman said. “I, um, brought brownies.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Lena said. “Here, have a seat. Kelex already brought food for us.”

“Actually, yeah, I did,” Kelly said, placing the plate on the table before taking her seat. “They’re apology brownies. I shouldn’t have snapped at you last night. To be honest, you hit a nerve with what you said, and I didn’t react well. I really am sorry for that. Your feelings— anger, fear, resentment— they’re all valid, and I shouldn’t have told you to just pack them away.”

Lena stared wide-eyed at the other woman. She certainly hadn’t expected an apology. “I— Thank you, for that. And for the brownies.”

Kelly gave her a soft smile. “Chocolate doesn’t fix everything, but in my experience it can’t hurt.”

Lena couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “I think you might be right.”

They turned to their meal then, and Kelly explained the Kryptonian components of their plate to Lena. Lunch was typically lighter than dinner, Kelly explained, and today’s meal consisted of a meat-filled pastry dish, steamed Kryptonian vegetables, and an assortment of sliced fruits.

“I see Kara left you a tablet,” Kelly commented. “Have you been studying the information modules?”

Lena nodded. “It’s… a lot to take in, to be honest.”

Kelly nodded sympathetically. “I know. I remember how overwhelming it was at first.”

“How long ago were you Collected?” Lena asked.

“Four years ago,” Kelly replied. “And honestly, it was the lowest point in my life.”

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to,” Lena told her.

Kelly shook her head. “No, I want you to know. Sharing my story has helped me deal with my own emotions. And you’re family now, you should know.”

Kelly reached for a brownie and scooted the plate toward Lena, waiting for her to take one for herself before beginning to speak.

“When I got out of college I immediately enlisted in the military to avoid being Collected,” Kelly began. “Two years into the service I fell in love. It was long after Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, but she was my commanding officer, so we kept it quiet, even when we got engaged. And then there was an accident… an explosion… We were traveling from base to one of the nearby villages to provide aid, and her truck was in front of the one I was in. A dog ran into the path ahead of her truck and the driver veered to avoid it and the tire hit a mine. None of them survived.”

“Kelly I’m… I’m so sorry,” Lena said honestly.

The other woman looked up at her with shiny eyes. “Thank you. It was… It was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, to be honest. My depression was so bad that I was discharged from the Army. For over a year I did nothing but sleep the days away in my old bedroom at my aunt’s house. And then the Collection happened, and my number came up.”

“At the time, I honestly didn’t care,” Kelly said with a nonchalant shrug. “I was in such a dark place, mentally, that I wanted my life to be over, so being abducted by aliens wasn’t even a drop in the bucket. When they told me I was supposed to be mated to a Kryptonian I almost laughed. At the time I hadn’t bathed in over a week, had lost twenty pounds because I didn’t want to eat. Why would one of them want a mate like me?”

Lena passed the tray of brownies back to Kelly’s side of the table, and she picked up a second one with a grateful expression. She took a bite and a small smile spread across her face.

“Then I met Alex,” she said simply. “It wasn’t a meet cute. The Kryptonians thought something must be physically wrong with me, so they brought me to the medical center where Alex works as a physician. She knew better, though. She recognized the sadness in me and she didn’t pity me for it, she… She understood it herself. She started bringing me meals and talking to me, just talking, telling me about her day, and then about Argo and Krypton. She gave me hope for the first time in a long time that things would be okay. And before I knew it, I realized I was in love with her.”

Kelly looked up from her brownie. “I know what they’re doing is wrong. Honestly, they know it too. It took me a while to come to terms with the situation. But I know Alex wasn’t responsible for the way things are now. She and the other Kryptonians are just as trapped by the Collection process as we are. They would much rather be able to meet and fall in love with their mates on Earth, without the Collection process forcing us to leave everything we know, but our own human governments made that decision for them.”

“That’s what Kara told me,” Lena told her.

“There are records in the information modules that give you more info about those decisions and how they were made,” Kelly said. “It’s a dark time in their history, but the Kryptonians try to be open about it to the women that are Collected.”

Lena looked down at her lap. She hadn’t necessarily doubted Kara’s claims. In all honesty, it wasn’t exactly ludicrous that the governments on Earth wouldn’t want Kryptonians coming onto the planet. Humans had enough prejudices against refugees of their own species from other parts of the world.

“Hey,” Kelly said, pulling her attention back. “You’re still allowed to be mad about it, you know? It’s infuriating. But… I know I’m biased, because Kara’s family, and I love her like a sister. She’s not the one you should be angry with, you know? She and Alex were just kids when the war with Daxam happened, and now they’re just trying to survive, along with the rest of their species. And, frankly, I can’t speak for all the Kryptonians, but I can speak for Alex and Kara, and they deserve to be happy. I really hope you and Kara could make each other happy, eventually.”

Lena doesn’t know what to say in response to that. She’s known the Kryptonian woman less than twenty-four hours. The thought of making each other happy, especially now, was just too much for her to fathom.

“Sorry, was that too much?” Kelly asked shyly. “I really need to work on my filter. I’m normally much better at this, I swear. I guess it’s just different with family. More complicated.”

“Family can be that way,” Lena admitted. “And… whatever I said last night…”

“It was the broodmare comment,” Kelly admitted. “I… I know what I said, that our purpose is more than reproducing, and it’s true. But I really do want kids with Alex. I want to give her a family. But we’ve been together for four years now, and most couples conceive within two. So I’m just concerned, you know, that it’s not happening.”

“I’m sorry, I had no idea,” Lena said earnestly. She couldn’t sympathize, really. She had never been particularly interested in having children of her own. But even though the circumstances were strange to Lena, she hated it for the woman in front of her who so clearly wanted a child with the woman she loved.

“It’ll happen when it happens,” Kelly said, clearly quoting a platitude she had been told multiple times. “Maybe on my next heat cycle.”

“Heat cycle?” Lena asked.

Kelly bit her lip. “Um… Keep studying the modules. You’ll get to it. Then we’ll talk. It’s probably better that way.”

“O-kay,” Lena replied, stretching the word skeptically.

——

Instead of using her afternoon studying more, Lena spent it trying to figure out the tablet’s operating system. The programming was a strange mix of Kryptonese and English, and Lena began to suspect that a human had a part in creating the system. Overall, she was convinced that if she could learn enough Kryptonese, she could figure it out and hack the system, and maybe that would allow her to contact someone on Earth.

By the time Kara returned to the suite, Lena had even more of a plan. She understood Kelly’s words, and maybe the woman was right. Maybe Kara was just as trapped in this system as the rest of them. But it was Kara who had chosen Lena, who had made the decision to take Lena away from her life. Lena couldn’t forget that.

She just couldn’t figure out why.

“Kara?”

The Kryptonian stopped talking mid-sentence. She had been telling Lena about her duties aboard the intergalactic transport vessel, but Lena hadn’t really been paying attention, too caught up in her own thoughts.

“Why did you take me?” Lena asked.

Kara’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“When we, um, met, on Earth,” Lena said curiously, “you said that on your planet, alphas take what they want, and you wanted me. Why do you want me?”

“I don’t understand,” Kara said, puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re kind and brilliant and beautiful and…”

“But you don’t know me,” Lena said. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Yes, I do, I—“ Kara’s face flushed. “This is gonna sound weird.”

“How weird?” Lena asked.

“Um… stalker-ish weird,” Kara admitted. “I, um, I’ve kind of been watching you. For a while.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

“We can hack into surveillance devices on Earth,” Kara said. “ _Rao_ , I’m not explaining this well.”

“Maybe start from the beginning?” Lena suggested, although now she was a little scared of what the beginning might be.

“Well, the first time I saw you, I was watching the broadcast of your brother’s trials,” Kara said sheepishly.

“Oh,” Lena breathed. “You, um… You watched that.”

“We had a friend, Alex and I, named Than-Ze who was an administrator for the Collection,” Kara explained. “He was one of the Kryptonians who your brother killed.”

“I’m sorry,” Lena said with a sigh. She was so tired of apologizing for her brother’s actions.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Kara said softly. “Anyway, we both watched the broadcast of the trial. A lot of Kryptonians did. We wanted to see justice for the people Lex Luthor killed. I’ll never forget when they called you to the stand— That’s what it’s called, right?”

Lena nodded. Kara’s eyes had a glazed-over, faraway look, as if she wasn’t seeing Lena in front of her, but in her memory of that moment.

“I think I forgot how to breathe when I saw you,” Kara continued. “I remember thinking _Gosh, she’s pretty_ , and Alex elbowed me in the ribs because I accidentally said it out loud. But it was more than how pretty you looked. You had this look in your eyes, I don’t know how to describe it. You were so sad, but brave. I remember your brother stood up and threatened you for testifying against him, and you just had the saddest look on your face, but you were brave and told the truth anyway. And I remember thinking that you just looked so… alone. I just wished I could find you and hug you, and tell you that I knew what it was like to feel alone like that.”

Lena looked away from Kara. She didn’t want the other woman to see the dampness in her eyes. She didn’t understand how a woman watching from light-years away had seen her so clearly.

“After that I admit that I became a little obsessed with you,” Kara said, her tone embarrassed. “ I began researching you, reading articles about you, finding pictures of you online. I told myself it was irrational, but every time I did it I just found myself more and more enthralled. And when I learned about all the things you were doing— researching cures for cancer and donating your money to disadvantaged schools— I just knew you had to be so amazing and brilliant and kind. After I read that you collapsed during your mother’s trial, I just wanted to check in on you. I used the surveillance cameras at LuthorCorp to make sure you were okay.”

Kara sighed and Lena caught her gaze again.

“And you’re right,” Kara admitted. “I don’t really know you, deep down. But from what little I do know, I really, really want to get to know you. I want to learn everything about you. I want to discuss science with you. I want to know what makes you smile so I can make you smile every day. And I want you to know that as long as I’m alive, I hope you never feel alone like that ever again.”

Lena just stared at the Kryptonian woman, examined every facet of her eager, open expression. And she examined her own heart, and cursed internally.

She was still angry, of that she was certain. But she was also certain of something else.

She could grow to like this amazing alien woman. Maybe even love her.

And that complicated things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely love reading everyone’s comments speculating about this story and giving feedback.
> 
> Next chapter you guys are gonna get a couple of huge surprises. Not sure when that’ll get written and posted, just giving you all a heads up.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit hits the fan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I’m not even sure what to say about this except that I don’t know how it’s possible that I wrote 3000+ words today, but here we are. Your comments motivate me so freaking much. Also, don’t hate me.

Lena awoke in the middle of the night, which wasn’t particularly unusual, except the bed beside her was empty, and a pale beam of light filled the room from the bathroom. Suddenly a figure appeared in the doorway, shoulders hunched, and Lena had to squint to see Kara’s features in the dark as the light faded behind her.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” Kara said softly as she climbed back into bed. Lena’s eyes slowly adjusted until she could make out the Kryptonian’s face. Her bangs were damp, either with sweat or because she had splashed her face in the bathroom, and her eyes looked puffy and swollen.

“Is everything alright?” Lena asked.

“It’s fine,” Kara said quickly, then bit her lip. “Actually, well… I suppose you should know. I have bad dreams sometimes. They wake me in the middle of the night, and sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep again. But I don’t want to worry you. Just go back to sleep.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Lena said, turning onto her stomach and closing her eyes. She felt the bed shift beside her as Kara tried to get comfortable. A few minutes later the bed shifted again. Lena was almost relaxed when the bed shifted yet again and she heard a deep sigh. She opened one eye and saw Kara still awake beside her, staring intently at the ceiling. Lena rolled onto her side and placed an arm under her head. “Maybe if you tell me about it you’ll be able to fall asleep.”

Kara turned again, roughly shifting onto her side. “No, I don’t want to bother you.”

“Kara, all your tossing and turning is going to bother me,” Lena told her honestly. “You might as well tell me and see if it helps, instead of us both lying here unable to sleep.”

Kara sighed, her eyes staring intently at the edge of her pillowcase. Finally she began to speak.

“You finished the module about the virus the Daxamites used to kill our omegas, right?” she asked.

“Mmhmm,” Lena mumbled the affirmative.

“Well, I was twelve when the virus struck,” Kara said softly. “My father was still away fighting in the war when my mother fell ill. At first it was just weakness and fatigue, but soon the pain began as the virus began to eat away at her reproductive organs. Then the virus spread throughout her body.”

“That sounds horrible,” Lena said sympathetically.

Kara nodded. “My mother and I were very close. She was so strong. I had never seen her like that. To see what the virus reduced her to…” Kara took a deep breath. “Sometimes I see her in my dreams. Often it’s just memories— us talking, her singing, us playing together. Sometimes it’s as if she’s still alive and I’m with her now, as an adult. They’re not bad dreams, really, just bittersweet. And when I wake up, sometimes it’s just… overwhelming, how much I miss her. It’s been almost twenty years, but I still miss her.”

“I can understand that,” Lena said softly. “My mother— my biological mother— died when I was four. She had an inoperable form of brain cancer, according to my father. I don’t remember as much as you do, because I was so young, but sometimes…”

“What do you remember?” Kara asked curiously.

“I remember she was from Ireland, so she had an accent, and spoke to me in her language,” Lena said. “She called me _ceann beag, little one_ , and she would sing to me. Sometimes I remember her laugh. I remember she had dark red hair that she would let me play with sometimes. When she got sick, the treatments made her lose her hair. I remember it made me very sad.”

Kara looked at her with sad eyes, but there was no pity there, just a deep understanding that only someone who had experienced the same pain could have. She reached toward Lena, only to stop halfway. Her expression changed, shifting to something torn.

“Lena, may I… Could I hold your hand?” she asked shyly, opening her palm where it sat halfway across the bed.

Lena looked down at the hand in front of her, studying the fine lines that were barely visible in the darkened room. She didn’t reply out loud, just silently slipped her hand from beneath her cheek and placed it on top of Kara’s with a slight squeeze. Kara threaded their fingers together, and her thumb stroked along the ridge of Lena’s knuckles.

“You’re so soft,” Kara murmured into the pillow.

“You’re warm,” Lena commented. Even at a distance she could feel the heat radiating off Kara’s skin, and holding her hand was like holding candlelight.

Kara just hummed contentedly and closed her eyes. Lena stared at the alien woman’s face for a long moment before closing her own eyes. Her consciousness narrowed until all she could sense was the warmth of Kara’s hand in hers, and the soft, even sound of their breathing.

——

Lena was furious.

“Kelex, I need you to contact Kara and have her come back here right now!” she demanded, throwing the tablet onto the sofa with force. She was tempted to break the damn thing.

“I’m afraid Lady Kara is attending to her daily duties as First Mate of this vessel,” Kelex said calmly.

“I don’t care what she’s doing,” Lena declared. “You tell her it’s an emergency. I need to see her right now.”

“If there’s an emergency I can assist—“

“You can’t assist anything, Kelex,” Lena told the robot. “If Kara isn’t in front of me in two minutes, I might explode.”

If the robot could be startled, that certainly did it. It was gone from the room in a flash, and the door slid shut behind it. Lena stared at the closed door, breathing hard, then glanced at the tablet on the sofa. She huffed furiously and looked down at her body.

Her body that was no longer hers.

Lena wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Kelex returned to the room with Kara in tow, but it was less than two minutes. The Kryptonian was breathing heavily, clearly having run back to the room, and she looked at Lena with wide eyes.

“Lena? What’s wrong? Kelex said you were going to explode, but I don’t understand, is there an illness that causes humans to— OOF!”

Lena’s hand stung from the impact of her palm against Kara’s cheek. The Kryptonian’s head stayed comically sideways as she reeled from Lena’s aggressive slap.

“What have you done to me?” Lena demanded.

Kara turned her head slowly and reached up to rub her jaw. “I don’t understand…”

“I read the modules about the genetic modification,” Lena said, her voice dangerously low. “I read about the changes you’ve made to my body, about _heat cycles_. No wonder Kelly didn’t want to tell me what those were yesterday.”

“Lena, it’s not so bad as you’re making it seem,” Kara said placatingly, but Lena wasn’t having it.

“Not so bad?” Lena asked. “In a few months my hormones are going to make me out of my mind horny so that I’ll beg you to fuck me. For _days_. Even if my rational mind doesn’t want it, my body and my hormones will demand that we mate. How is that not so bad?”

“It’s just—“ Kara began.

“Is that what you were planning this whole time?” Lena demanded. “You tell me that you’re going to wait until I ask you to touch me to mate with me, but you’re really just waiting for me to enter a heat cycle so I have no choice but to beg for your cock? Is that it?”

She didn’t give Kara a chance to respond. She wasn’t normally a violent person, but Kara had violated her in a way she could barely fathom, and it infuriated her more than anything she had ever experienced before. Lena balled her hands into fists and began punching Kara’s chest the way Lex had taught her when she was a teenager.

“Tell me, damn it!” she shouted, and she was embarrassed to find that tears of frustration were flowing down her cheeks. “Tell me! Say something! Do something! Fight back!”

Kara bent over double as Lena struck hard to her midriff. “I’m not going to fight you.”

“Why not?” Lena shouted, punching hard at Kara’s unprotected rib cage.

“I promised that I wouldn’t touch you without your permission,” Kara huffed, then groaned as Lena hit the same point twice in a row.

Lena stood back, breathing hard. Kara’s arms were hanging uselessly at her sides, not even moving to defend herself from Lena’s assault, much less to strike back. Her actions and her words bewildered Lena. The brunette backed away until her knees hit the edge of the sofa, and she sat down with a grunt. Her head was pounding for the first time since she had awoken on the Kryptonian ship, and she reached up to rub her temples.

“You confuse me, Kara,” Lena said through tears. “You say you won’t touch me, and yet you’ve already done so much against my will. I don’t know what to believe. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

Kara approached her slowly, then sat gingerly on the sofa several feet away.

“I have no intention of taking advantage of you during your heat,” she said softly, as if she didn’t want to spook her. “We have suppressants, medications that will lessen your symptoms so you can resist the physical urges to mate. I will get you those if you wish.”

Lena looked at the Kryptonian doubtfully. “And how long are you willing to give me those?”

“For as long as it takes,” Kara replied, her tone sure but also sounding puzzled.

“And you think what? That eventually I’ll give in?” Lena asked. “That eventually I’ll just settle and mate with you because I don’t have any other choice? Is that how this works? Is that what other women who’ve been Collected have done?”

“No, that’s… That’s not what…” Kara stood suddenly and began pacing in front of Lena. After a few minutes she stood still and faced Lena with sad eyes. “There’s never going to be anything I can say or do to change this, is there?”

Lena’s eyes widened in shock. “What do you mean?”

Kara took a deep breath. “I never wanted you to hate me.”

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a robotic tone.

“Officer Russ-El and his mate have arrived,” the voice said.

Kara grumbled. “Crap. Not right now.”

“Officer Russ-El and Andrea Rojas request entry,” the robotic voice said.

Lena looked up, her attention immediately shifting. “Andrea? She’s here?”

Kara sighed. “Yes. She’s mated to one of the ship’s officers, who’s also a distant cousin.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lena demanded.

“Russ and I aren’t on the best terms,” Kara said glumly.

“Officer Russ-El and Andrea Rojas request entry,” the voice repeated.

“May I see her?” Lena asked. “Please? I haven’t seen her in two years.”

“Of course,” Kara said. “Let our guests in, Kelex.”

The door slid open to reveal a tall male Kryptonian. Kara had said they were distantly related, but they didn’t favor at all. He had a dark olive complexion, black hair, and dark eyes. But Lena barely spared him a glance. She was too busy trying to see the figure that entered behind him.

She met Andrea Rojas in boarding school. They were both sixteen and carrying the weight of family legacies on their shoulders. Lena had also carried a repressed crush on the other girl, though her friend was tragically straight as far as Lena knew. They had spent hours studying together, watching the Titanic over and over until they could quote it word for word, becoming so intertwined in each other’s lives that neither of them could imagine life without the other one. They stayed connected through college, and afterward, when Andrea began taking over her father’s business, convinced that if her number ever came up in the Collection that she could pay her way out of it.

Andrea had been wrong. And two years before, her number was drawn. Lena had cried with her friend as she made her arrangements, had screamed and struck at the Collection agents who came to take Andrea away when she refused to surrender herself at a Collection Center. It was the only criminal charge on Lena’s record— assaulting a government official.

Andrea hadn’t changed in two years. Her brown hair was still impeccably styled and straightened, though it appeared to be a little longer. Her blue eyes sought Lena’s, and a wide smile spread across her face.

“Lena!” she cried, darting around Russ-El to pull Lena into a hug.

 _Oh_. Well, maybe something had changed. Lena pulled away from the hug abruptly and looked down, her eyes falling on the small bump of Andrea’s belly beneath the dress she wore.

“You can go into the bedroom, if you’d like some privacy,” Kara said, interrupting Lena’s shock.

“Thank you,” Lena said, recognizing the privacy for the gift that it was. “Andrea, it’s this way. Andrea?”

But her old friend was just glaring across the room toward where Kara was standing, a depth of dislike wrinkling her features the likes of which Lena hadn’t seen since they were teenagers. Kara had mentioned that she and Andrea’s mate were not on good terms, and Lena wondered what it could possibly be that would make Andrea look at Kara that way.

Once the bedroom door slid shut behind them, Andrea pulled Lena into another tight hug.

“Oh, Lena, I’m so sorry,” she said. “Russ told me what happened to you. I can’t believe it… Well, I can believe it, from what he’s told me about Kara, but…”

“Andrea, slow down,” Lena said quickly. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Andrea pulled back and her eyes widened. “You don’t know? Don’t you realize that Kara broke Collection protocol to take you?”

“Well, yes, I knew that,” Lena said. “Collection Bureau agents showed up at L-Corp and told me I wouldn’t be given a writ of surrender because with my assets I was considered a flight risk. Not that they were wrong, of course, but still, it wasn’t normal protocol.”

“It’s more than that,” Andrea said. “She’s already performed your genetic modification.”

“Yes,” Lena replied. “But isn’t that… Wait, isn’t that what happens to everyone?”

Andrea looked at her sadly. “Lena, you should sit down.”

“No, I will not,” Lena said angrily. “Tell me what you have to tell me.”

Andrea sighed and took a seat herself on the edge of Lena’s bed. Her hand traced over the edge of her apparent baby bump, and Lena couldn’t help but follow the movement with her eyes.

“With normal Collection protocol, the women are transported to the ship via trans-matter portals,” Andrea explained. “Once they arrive they’re kept in an area kind of like a dormitory until the ships reach Argo. Once they’re on Argo, they’re sent to Kandor, the city where all the unmated women live. It’s a very secure place. No unmated alphas are allowed inside except in special areas where they’re allowed to mingle with the unmated women, to meet potential mates. We’re encouraged to learn about Argo and the Kryptonians, while also figuring out what jobs we can do in Kryptonian society based on our previous experience on Earth, or we can learn a new trade. Only once the women are comfortably settled into their new lives can they start dating, or courting as the Kryptonians call it.”

Lena blinked, confused. She was beginning to understand what Andrea was saying, but some part of her brain didn’t want to believe it.

“I don’t… She wouldn’t,” Lena said, though her words were spoken without resolve. She squeezed her eyes shut as colorful spots began dancing in front of her vision and tightened her hands into fists until her short nails dug into her palms.

“The women who are Collected get to go on dates and get to know different Alphas,” Andrea said. “They get to choose their mate, if they want one at all. I know a few women who were part of the first Collection, and they refuse to court the Kryptonians on principle. The Kryptonians don’t force them, although they do hope the women will eventually come around, and they try to give them comfortable, satisfactory lives even though the governments on Earth have said they can’t be sent back.”

Lena wracked her brain, trying to wrap her brain around what Andrea was saying. The modules she had studied hadn’t included this information, at least not yet, and she had a sinking suspicion none of them would. Kara hadn’t told her any of this, and neither had Kelly.

“Collected women are supposed to get a choice in who they mate, if they mate at all,” Andrea continued. “Only once they’ve made their decision do they undergo genetic modification, because the DNA they use comes from the chosen Kryptonian alpha, to make conception easier. What Kara’s done… it’s illegal.”

Lena’s breath was coming harder now. She sat beside Andrea on the edge of the bed, unable to stand, but she couldn’t look at her friend.

“Russ is an officer in charge of overseeing the Collection process, to make sure things like this don’t happen,” Andrea said. “Kara used her authority as the King’s cousin to pressure the Collection Bureau into taking you early. She had her adoptive sister, the Chief Medical Officer on board, give you the genetic modification procedure using her DNA without your consent. Russ is reading her the official charges right now. Once we return to Argo, he’s going to turn the charges over to the King and the Council. They’ll decide if they’re going to press charges.”

“I can’t—“ The room began spinning around Lena. “I can’t see. I can’t—“

Suddenly the door slid open and Kara and Russ-El came into view. Kara’s eyes widened as soon as she saw Lena and she hurried forward.

“Don’t touch her!” Andrea shouted.

“She’s sick!” Kara shouted. “Can’t you see she’s about to faint?”

“I’m n— Wh— Kara,” Lena said, her tongue thick and unable to find words.

“Don’t worry, _zhou_ , I’ve got you. Everything’s gonna be okay,” Kara assured her.

“How can you call her that?” Andrea demanded. “How can you possibly love her when you’ve taken away her choices?”

“I did it because I love her!” Kara exclaimed. “Now, get out of my way so I can take my omega to the medical bay before she passes out.”

It was too late, Lena knew. As soon as Kara’s hands touched her she could feel the blood rushing from her head in an all-too familiar sensation, and for once she welcomed the darkness as it rushed over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned for something else to be revealed in this chapter but I didn’t get to it yet and I felt like we were at a good stopping point (aka a cliffhanger). I swear to Rao that next chapter you will really find out what made Kara do something so crazy. And you’ll either be satisfied and love me (and her) or if not... eh.
> 
> Who knows, at the rate I’m going I might manage to pump out another chapter tonight or tomorrow. I type faster when you guys leave comments lol.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara’s reasons why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a little longer, but the need for sleep finally caught up with me.
> 
> So... I did not expect this chapter to be from Kara’s POV, but here we are. I think this fic will still end up being 99% Lena’s POV, but I may include chapters like this to show more details of what happens to Kara.
> 
> I would like to note that I made a small edit to Ch.1 and another small edit to Ch.5. I realized in retrospect that the way I said certain things in writing didn’t actually reflect how the story worked in my head. But this story has grown faster than I ever imagined and sometimes my writing goes faster than the planning part of my brain, or they don’t communicate with each other at all.

Kara Zor-El could pinpoint four moments in her life when everything was turned upside down.

The first was her mother’s death. The second was her father’s trial for war crimes during the war with the Daxamites.

The third was when she met Alex Dan-Vers. They were both orphans of the war, two of many. Kara was two years younger than Alex, and small for her age, and she had an irrational fear of small places. When a group of older children in the orphanage locked Kara in a storage cupboard outside after playtime, Kara screamed for what felt like hours before anyone realized she was missing. Alex was the one who freed her, who held her while she sobbed. Alex was the one who sat with her that night and they talked about their parents and their childhoods and their dreams. Alex was the one who got in trouble for breaking the nose of one of Kara’s bullies the next day.

They were inseparable after that. They considered themselves sisters, connected by a bond far deeper than blood.

The fourth moment that changed Kara’s life was the moment she saw Lena Luthor. She remembered it clearly, sitting on the sofa in her sister’s home, watching the broadcast of Lex Luthor’s trial on Earth. Than-Ze had been an orphan like them, and a friend in the orphanage. They watched in his memory, and the memory of the other Kryptonians and humans who had died. Kara’s righteous anger was mixed with fascination as she watched the human justice system at work.

“The prosecution calls Lena Luthor to the stand,” said the man on the screen, a _lawyer_ Kelly had explained.

“That’s Luthor’s sister,” Kelly said from her seat on the opposite side of Alex.

“Is she as mad as he is?” Alex asked. Kara wasn’t as convinced of Lex Luthor’s madness as her sister; while she agreed that he needed to be punished for the lives he took, she could hardly blame him for trying to shut down a process that took women against their will.

“I don’t think so,” Kelly replied. “From what I remember, she’s a lot younger. She’s a scientist, like him, but she’s been researching cures for cancer and other diseases, things like that. She mostly stayed out of the spotlight, but from what little I recall, she seemed to be working toward good things.”

Kara’s eyes widened as the camera panned to the woman now sitting beside the judge. Her dark hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and she wore a dark striped blouse that contrasted with her porcelain skin. She had high cheekbones and a sharp jaw, and full lips that pulled down into a frown as she took her seat. But it was her eyes that drew Kara’s attention the most. She had never seen eyes that color— a pale, slightly bluish-green that reminded her of the sea glass that collected on the shores near Argo City from the wreckage of Krypton that crashed into the ocean.

“Gosh, she’s pretty,” Kara breathed, and Alex elbowed her sharply in the ribs.

“Seriously? That’s all you can think about?” her sister asked.

“Well, she is,” Kara huffed indignantly.

Kelly giggled at their antics, but their attention was drawn back to the broadcast as the lawyer began questioning Lena Luthor.

“Miss Luthor, can you tell us about your exit from LuthorCorp?”

Lena nodded. She explained that they had disagreed over Lex’s research into Kryptonite, the chemical he had made that would kill Kryptonians. “One disagreement over his obsession, and he shut me out. He threw me out of the company and himself into his crusade. He killed people.”

“Did Mr. Luthor ever ask you to assist him in his work against Kryptonians and the Collection Bureau?” the lawyer asked.

“Yes, he did, multiple times,” Lena replied. “He used to say we were _burdened with excellence_ , that it was just me and him against the world. And if I’m honest with myself, I believed him. I was blind enough to think that he wanted a partner, but he wanted a sycophant.”

“I would like to bring the court’s attention to all evidence items one-forty-three through two-sixty-eight,” the lawyer announced. “Miss Luthor, can you tell the court what these items are?”

“I’ve submitted our every correspondence into evidence, enough smoking guns for an army. And when he bombed the Collection Centers—“ Lena glanced up, and Kara knew she was looking across the room toward where her brother was sitting— “I was wearing a wire.”

Kelly gasped. “Oh wow.”

“What does that mean?” Alex asked from beside her.

“It means she was wearing a recording device,” Kelly replied.

On the broadcast screen, the courtroom erupted into noise, and the camera panned shakily.

“You ungrateful little fool,” Luthor shouted. “Do you know what you’ve done? Don’t you realize that you’re one of the reasons I did this?”

“Order! Mr. Luthor, calm yourself!” the judge ordered.

“This is a paradigm shift!” Luthor spat. “For the rest of human history there will only be Before the Aliens Arrived and After. I refuse to give up our autonomy to their wiles. And if the rest of you are too cowardly to fight this…”

A very large man in a tan uniform grabbed Mr. Luthor from behind, restraining him.

“You’ll regret this, Lena!” Luthor shouted as he was dragged from the room. “When they come for you and there’s no one there to defend you, and you’re reduced to nothing but an alien’s whore, you’ll regret this!”

The camera panned back to where Lena Luthor was still sitting frozen on the witness stand. Kara was a bit surprised to find that the woman didn’t look afraid. Instead those sea-glass eyes were filled with a deep sadness that felt like a punch to Kara’s soul.

She found herself wishing that she could see Lena Luthor smile.

In the days that followed, Kara tried to shake the thought of the human woman from her mind. But she found that in the quietest moments of the day, when she sat alone eating her meals or tucked into bed at night, her mind would flash images of dark hair and pale skin, and those eyes that fascinated her beyond measure. She thought perhaps if she learned more about the woman, her curiosity would be appeased.

So she went to visit her friend Winn.

Winslow Schott, Jr., was a human, one of only a dozen human males who now lived on Argo. He had arrived with the first influx of scientists and researchers almost fifteen years before, part of the failed effort to help Kryptonians find a way to bear young, and had stayed after meeting his wife, a woman named Lyra, who was a scientist from the Starhaven system. He was useless when it came to biology. Instead he specialized in computers and had originally kept the scientists’ computers and other equipment running. He then learned Kryptonese and moved to working on Kryptonian tech, from their AI programs to defensive programs. He and Kara had met while he worked aboard the freighter ship she was stationed on, and they had been fast friends ever since.

“I need a favor,” she had told him, and had explained her situation.

“So, you have a crush on Lena Luthor,” Winn said, turning to type into his computer.

“I have a what?” Kara asked.

“A crush,” Winn replied. “Um, it means you like her. You find her attractive.”

“Oh, well, then yes, I have a crush,” Kara admitted, blushing.

“You’re adorable,” Winn teased, and she smacked his shoulder. “Hey, if you break me I won’t be able to get you the info you want, so be gentle.”

Winn ran what he called a _Google Search_ on Lena Luthor and transferred the information to Kara’s data tablet. She was able to find pictures of Lena from news reports and something called _social media_ , and articles about her and the Luthor family. Apparently they were very rich and powerful on Earth, so they were in the news regularly. The more she learned about the human woman, the more fascinated she became, even though she knew nothing could come of it.

“The first time you show interest in a human female and it’s one who isn’t even on this planet,” Alex grumbled. “There are Collected women in Kandor who actually want a mate, Kara, why don’t you go try to meet one of them?”

Kara just scowled. “You know why, Alex. I’m never taking a mate, and that’s final.”

“So you’re just going to pine over this random woman for the rest of your life?” Alex asked.

“It’s not like I’m hurting anyone!” Kara argued. “I just… I don’t know, I care about her, even though I’ve never met her.”

“Kara, that’s kind of crazy,” her sister told her.

“Maybe,” Kara replied. “But… Just let me have this, Alex.”

Alex hadn’t argued with her anymore, though Kara could see the judgement and pity on her face. Kara just ignored her.

“You know, we could pull some strings if you’re really interested in her, little one,” her aunt, General Astra, had said one day over a meal. Astra was her mother’s sister, and Kara loved her dearly. They served together on the Kryptonian fleet, and often took their meals together when on duty.

“What do you mean?” Kara asked. She had been perusing her tablet during her spare time for any recent news stories about the Luthor woman.

“There are ways,” Astra said. “If you want a chance with her, we could have her taken as part of the next Collection. She would never have to know, and once she’s settled here you could have a chance to court her.”

“No!” Kara exclaimed in shock. “How can you even suggest such a thing?”

Astra shrugged. “It’s been done before.”

“If you know of such a thing you should report it,” Kara told her. “As for Lena, I hope she’s never taken in the Collection. She’s doing such amazing research on Earth, she’s really helping her people.”

“She could help us,” Astra speculated.

“No,” Kara said firmly. “That’s the end of this.”

Astra had never spoken of it again, thankfully, and Kara was careful to never mention Lena Luthor in her aunt’s presence again.

Months passed. Kara used the search Winn had given her access to less and less. She still found herself thinking of the beautiful human sometimes. For nearly a month after her rut she was so ashamed of the dreams that had filled her mind during that time that she couldn’t even bring herself to type Lena’s name into the data tablet. But eventually her curiosity got the better of her, and she did a quick search to see if anything had happened.

_Lillian Luthor arrested, Lena Luthor named CEO of LuthorCorp_

_Lena Luthor collapses at trial of Lillian Luthor_

Kara’s eyes widened as she read the headlines. The last title drew her attention most urgently, so she touched the icon. It opened a news video from the week before. The video explained that Lena’s mother, Lillian Luthor, had been arrested for stealing money from her own company. Lena had been appointed head of the company, and had lost consciousness during a trial for Lillian. The report said there was no foul-play suspected, only that Miss Luthor fainted due to exhaustion.

That didn’t seem right to Kara, so she called her friends in a panic. That evening, Winn and Alex sat in her living room while she explained the situation.

“Kara, you need to calm down,” Alex told her. “This is a complete overreaction.”

“But she’s ill, Alex,” Kara argued.

“You don’t even know this woman,” Alex said.

“I don’t care!” Kara exclaimed. “I know enough, okay? I don’t care if it’s not rational, I’m still worried about her.”

“If you want, I can pull her medical files,” Winn interrupted.

“You can do that?” Kara exclaimed.

“No, he can’t,” Alex said, her voice thick with warning. “Those files are meant for Collection Agents only. Besides, that’s an invasion of privacy.

“But if she’s sick, shouldn’t we help her?” Kara argued.

“How exactly do you plan on helping her, Kara?” Alex demanded. “She’s on a different planet, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“I don’t know, but I—“

“No, this obsession of yours has gotten out of hand,” Alex said. “You need to let it go, Kara. I don’t know if it’s your rut cycle or what, but you need to get it under control. Go to Kandor and meet someone and forget about Lena Luthor, okay?”

Kara shrunk beneath Alex’s chastisement. Her sister sighed and put her arm around Kara’s shoulders.

“Look, I don’t understand what’s gotten into you, but I’m worried about you,” Alex told her. “And I know you. I don’t want you to do something stupid.”

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Kara said. “I just… The first time I saw her, I felt a connection. She looks so lonely, Alex, the kind of alone that I know far too well.”

“It’s one thing to recognize a kindred spirit, Kara. It’s another thing entirely to invade their privacy.” Alex sighed and looked at her communicator. “I need to go. Kelly’s due to begin her heat cycle any day now.”

“Good luck,” Winn said as Alex stood to leave.

Alex fixed him with a pointed expression. “Don’t enable her. You know just as well as I do that this isn’t ethical.”

Winn raised his hands away from his keyboard innocently. Kara gave Alex a final hug, then as soon as she was out the door, turned back to Winn.

“So… you can pull her files?” Kara asked.

Winn hesitated. “Kara… You heard what Alex said. I know I said I can do it, but she’s right, it’s an invasion of privacy and…”

“Please, Winn. I need to know she’s okay. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I just need to know. It’s like… an ache in my bones, to make sure she’s alright.”

“I’ve never seen you like this before, Kar,” Winn said.

“Is it possible to love someone you’ve never met, Winn?” Kara asked.

Winn sighed. “I don’t know. I certainly didn’t know I could love someone the way I love Lyra until I met her. But my mom used to say that loving someone is more than just a feeling; it’s an action. Doing things for someone because you love them. And I guess, in that sense, you can do something for someone to show love even if you’ve never actually met them.”

Kara flopped herself down onto the sofa. “Is what I’m doing really that bad, Winn? I mean, be honest with me.”

“Well, I mean…” Winn trailed off. “It’s an invasion of privacy, yes. But… I know you don’t mean to do anything bad with the information. Right?”

“Of course not!” Kara said. “I just… I dunno… If she is ill, maybe I can get word to someone working in her Collection Bureau to make sure she’s getting the treatment she needs, you know?”

Winn nodded. He looked from Kara to the computer in front of him. “Don’t make me regret this, Kara.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Kara said.

So Winn pulled the files. And what Kara found was the worst news she could’ve found. Lena’s biological mother had died when Lena was a child from a rare form of inoperable brain cancer. It also happened to be a cancer that was hereditary. On Lena’s initial intake exam by the Collection Bureau, they performed a standard genetic panel, and the results of that panel showed that Lena carried the genes for the same cancer that killed her mother.

Kara had immediately freaked out more than she was already freaking out.

”Calm down, Kara,” Winn told her. “We don’t have any way of knowing if she actually has cancer. She could’ve collapsed from any number of things: exhaustion, dehydration, anything.”

“Is there any way we can find out if she has any other symptoms?” Kara asked.

“I… No,” Winn said, but something about his voice told Kara he wasn’t telling her the entire truth.

“Winn…” she pouted.

“I mean… I could hack into the LuthorCorp security feeds just to see if she’s had any other fainting spells or anything. But no, that’s totally wrong, that would definitely be an invasion of privacy. No, no, no.”

“But Winn, you said it yourself, it’s not like we’re doing anything bad with the information! We’re just trying to help her,” Kara argued.

“No, I already invaded this woman’s privacy by hacking into her medical records, dammit… No! Don’t do the face, not the face!” Kara intensified her pout. Winn sighed and frowned. “That’s not fair. You know I can’t say no to the pout.”

“That’s why I do it,” Kara said, draping her arms around Winn’s shoulders. “Now, please, help me out here.”

“I swear Kara, if this ends up biting us in the ass…”

“It’s not,” she assured him.

——

She had been wrong. Staring at the angry face of Russ-El in her quarters, she knew she had been wrong. She just hoped the punishment would all be aimed at her, and not her friends.

“You’re being charged with subverting Collection protocol for personal gain, intimidating human agents, misleading Collection officials, and performing the genetic modification process on a human without their consent,” Russ said with authority. “Would you like to enter a plea now?”

“Yes,” Kara said evenly. “Guilty to all charges.”

Russ’s eyes widened in shock for a moment. Clearly he hadn’t expected that, but Kara couldn’t very well deny what she had done when Lena was standing in the next room with Russ’s mate.

“Are you really that arrogant?” Russ asked with a forced laugh.

“No,” Kara said sadly. “But I have faith that my King and the Council will hear my reasoning and have mercy on me. I carried the same hope that one day Lena might forgive me as well.”

“What reasoning could you possibly have for doing this?” Russ asked.

Kara sighed. “I found out that Lena was dying. On Earth, there is no cure for what she had, but our genetic modification process, combined with our nanite technology could cure her.”

“You still subverted the Collection process and performed the procedures without her consent,” Russ said.

“Yes, I did,” Kara said. “I’m not proud of what I did. I’m not arrogant. But to save her, I would do it again. If it means I spend my life in prison, then I would still do it again. I couldn’t let her die, not when I could do something to save her.”

Suddenly Kelex floated over to them, interrupting their conversation. “Lady Kara, my sensors indicate that Miss Luthor is in distress.”

“No!” Kara exclaimed, hurrying to the door to the bedroom. “Lena!”

The door slid open and Kara’s eyes landed on where Lena was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her face was unnaturally pale, one of her pupils was dilated slightly larger than the other, and she was gasping for breath. Kara rushed to her side.

“Don’t touch her!” Russ’s mate, Andrea, shouted.

“She’s sick!” Kara shouted in reply. “Can’t you see she’s about to faint?”

“I’m n— Wh— Kara,” Lena said, her speech slurred.

“Don’t worry, _zhao_ , I’ve got you,” Kara said softly, using the Kryptonian pet name for a romantic love.

“How can you possibly call her that?” Andrea demanded. Kara was getting frustrated with the other human, but she minded her tongue out of respect for Russ and the fact that she was one of Lena’s friends on Earth. “How can you possibly love her when you’ve taken away her choices?”

“I did it because I love her!” Kara exclaimed, reaching around her toward Lena. “Now, get out of my way so I can take my omega to the medical bay before she passes out.”

But it was too late. Just as Kara wrapped her arms around Lena’s torso, she went limp against her. A moment later her body began to shake in rapid seizures.

“What’s happening to her?” Andrea asked, eyes wide with fear.

“She’s having a seizure,” Kara explained, scooping Lena up and carrying her from the room. “Alex said they could still happen while the nanites shrink the tumors in her brain.”

“Tumors?” Andrea asked as she followed, and Russ’s expression was equally as curious.

“Lena has a hereditary form of brain cancer,” Kara replied. “Well, _had_. And yes, I crossed lines to find out if she had cancer. I made a deal with the Secretary of the Collection that if she didn’t have it, I would leave her on Earth and pay restitution for my actions. If she did have cancer, I would give her the option to come here for treatment. I never got the chance to ask for her permission though. She started seizing and stopped breathing in the diagnostic machine at the Collection Center. As soon as I had confirmation, I brought her through the portal and told Alex to begin treatment.”

“She still should’ve had a choice in the genetic modification,” Russ said.

“I agree,” Kara said sadly. “But the tumors were pressing on her spinal cord. She could’ve died before she ever regained consciousness. And it may have been wrong, but I just couldn’t let her die.”

Lena’s body went limp in Kara’s arms. Thankfully, her chest was still moving with shallow breaths. They entered the medical bay and Alex looked up from putting stitches in the head of a young and clumsy cadet. She raked her eyes over Kara and the human in her arms before looking at Russ-El behind her.

“Oh, shit, Kara,” she said softly.

“Not dealing with that yet, Alex,” Kara said. “Help her, please. She passed out and had another seizure.”

“Put her on the bed,” Alex said, gesturing to the closest one.

Kara stood over Lena worriedly as Alex began examining her. She was barely aware of Russ and Andrea having a quiet but heated discussion across the room. Her attention was only drawn away from Lena when a heavy hand landed on her arm.

“These charges must be presented for the King and the Council,” Russ said softly. “I advise you to bring your extenuating circumstances as well, but they will rule on your punishment once we reach Argo. You will be allowed to continue with your duties on the ship, as there is no one on board who can be promoted into your position. However, once Lena Luthor is awake, we will give her quarters separate from yours. You are not allowed to approach her without invitation. If she doesn’t wish to see you, we will not allow you near her. If she wishes for your interactions to be supervised, then my mate or I will supervise. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” Kara said softly. “And Russ?” Her cousin looked at her curiously. “If she doesn’t want anything to do with me, I know I have no right, but I ask you to keep her safe.”

“Of course,” Russ agreed.

A loud beep drew their attention to where Alex was holding a handheld scanner over Lena’s head.

“The nanites have almost finished shrinking the tumors,” Alex said. “She should regain consciousness naturally in a few hours.”

“Notify me when she does,” Russ said. “For now, Kara Zor-El, you may stay. When Miss Luthor wakes up, we will allow her to decide if you should stay or go.”

“Understood. Thank you,” Kara replied.

Once they left, Alex stepped away to finish with the clumsy cadet. Kara carefully tucked the rough med-bay blanket around Lena’s torso and smoothed her hair down around her face.

“Kara,” Alex said softly behind her.

“Not now, Alex,” Kara said. “Please, just… If these are the last hours I get to spend with her, let me spend them in peace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you had already guessed what drove Kara to do what she did. Good job connecting my bread crumbs. Some of you will never be satisfied with any reason for Kara’s actions, and that’s fine. I agree that she did reprehensible things. But this is fiction, it’s a story, and if you’re still reading only to tell me how horrible it is... well, you’re still reading so *shrugs* Some of you are going to be mad that *spoiler alert* Lena eventually forgives Kara, but it’s SuperCorp endgame, so there you have it. They have a long road to forgiveness before that happens, but it does happen.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe this is eight chapters and over twenty thousand words already. I feel like hardly anything has happened and Lena’s only been on this ship for like two days. We haven’t even gotten into the nitty gritty of this story yet. Holy crap.

Lena awoke to a pounding head and a cacophony of voices. She blinked once, but the light was blindingly bright and it cut through her head like a knife, so she kept her eyes closed. Instead she focused on trying to pick out the different voices.

“Kara, you need to tell her. I don’t understand why you didn’t tell already.”

Kelly. Her voice was smooth and calm, but chastising for some reason.

“I didn’t want her to feel some obligation because of what I did.” There was Kara. Lena thought, rationally, she should feel anger or fear toward the Kryptonian, but such emotions just felt like too much now, floating in this odd space of almost-consciousness.

“Are you sure that’s the only reason?” Kelly asked.

There was an odd scuffling sound. “I took so much from her Kelly. How could she possibly forgive me for that?”

“You’re taking another choice from her by not being honest, Kara,” Kelly said. “She should be able to decide if your reasons justify the means, and if she can forgive you. You don’t get to decide that for her as well.”

Lena shifted in the bed she was lying in. The covers were scratchy, and the bed itself was firmer than the one she had shared with Kara.

“Well, if you don’t tell her, I’m gonna tell her.”

Lena had definitely heard that voice before, but only briefly. _Alex_ , she remembered, Kelly’s mate and Kara’s adoptive sister. And the ship’s medical officer, according to Andrea. Lena shifted again, and suddenly a warm hand rested on her arm.

“Lena?”

She jerked away from Kara’s touch. The anger was returning, slowly, along with her consciousness. She blinked up to see Kara’s face hovering over hers, blonde hair loose like a halo around her face.

“Go away,” Lena said with as much anger as she could muster.

Kara’s face fell and she backed away. “Lena…”

“Get away from me,” Lena hissed. “Just go, Kara.”

The blonde Kryptonian stared at her for a long moment before nodding, resignation coloring her features.

“I’ll be in my quarters, if you need me,” she said, and Lena wasn’t sure if she was talking to her or to Kelly and Alex. She disappeared through a doorway, and Lena relaxed back into the mattress.

Kelly stepped forward. “Lena—“

“You lied to me as well,” Lena said darkly.

“I didn’t realize Kara hadn’t told you the full story,” Kelly said, twisting her hands anxiously. “I don’t know why she didn’t tell you…”

“Tell me what?” Lena asked. “What could she possibly have to tell me that would change what she’s done?”

“You had cancer.”

Lena’s eyes widened as she stared at the auburn-haired Kryptonian in a black suit much like the one Kara wore everyday. Alex’s expression remained stoic as she adjusted the bright lamp suspended above Lena’s bed and rolled down the blanket that was covering Lena.

“I— what?” Lena asked.

“You had a hereditary form of brain cancer,” Alex said, her voice softer. “Do you remember when you received your genetic screening results from your initial screening with the Collection Bureau?”

“It was the same type of cancer that killed my mother,” Lena said. “They told me I was at increased risk, but they didn’t say I had it.”

“You didn’t then, but you developed it,” Alex explained. “Had you noticed being more fatigued recently? High blood pressure, migraines, blurred vision, dizziness, loss of consciousness, nausea?”

Lena nodded. “I thought it was exhaustion.”

“The exhaustion didn’t help,” Alex said. “My sister came to me weeks ago freaking out. She had read an article that you collapsed, and she was worried that you were sick.”

“So she brought me here,” Lena concluded.

Alex pursed her lips. “It was a bit more convoluted than that, but essentially, yes. You were seizing when she brought you in. She begged me to help you.”

“So you used the genetic modification procedure on me,” Lena said, closing her eyes.

“Our Kryptonian genes overwrite some of your existing genes in the process,” Alex said. “Ultimately it changed your DNA enough that the cancer-causing genes were inert. I also injected nanites into your system that were programmed to gradually shrink the existing tumors in your brain. That’s why you collapsed earlier today. But after a few weeks, the tumors should be gone and your brain returned to normal.”

Lena opened her eyes wide. “So I’ll be cured?”

“Yes,” Alex said.

“You have a cure for cancer?” Lena demanded. “Why wouldn’t you share it with Earth?”

“We have,” Alex said. “It was one of the first things Kryptonians gave to your governments when we asked for assistance solving our reproduction issues.”

“But that was fifteen years ago,” Lena said confusedly. “Why wouldn’t that be common practice by now?”

“I don’t know,” Alex said sadly.

“My guess is pharmaceutical companies,” Kelly spoke up, her voice bitter. “There’s no profit in curing a disease permanently.”

There had once been a time when Lena would have argued that Kelly’s accusation was ludicrous. But even before she had been Collected she had known from her days at LuthorCorp that all science, including medical science, was underscored by profit margins. She also knew that the governments would be unlikely to release anything that came from the Kryptonians, even something beneficial.

Her bitter thoughts were interrupted by the door to the medical bay opening and familiar figures walking through.

“Lena!” Andrea exclaimed, rushing across the room and pulling her into a tight hug.

“I’m fine,” Lena assured her. “Really, I feel fine now.”

“Is she?” Andrea’s mate asked Alex.

“She’s recovered for now,” Alex told them. “I recommend you take it easy for the next week or so, while the nanites do most of the work. Expect headaches and some dizziness, but if you feel faint lie down immediately and send for me.”

Lena nodded. “Alex?”

The red haired Kryptonian looked at her curiously.

“Thank you,” Lena said. “For saving my life. Truly.”

Alex nodded. “Of course.”

“We’ve arranged for you to have your own quarters,” Andrea said excitedly. “You’ll be right next door from our room.”

“And that’ll be safe?” Lena asked, glancing between them and Kelly.

“You’ll be under my protection,” Russ said. “It’s not the same as a mate’s protection, but I have authority as a Collection Officer. If any alpha tries to force themselves on you, their lives are forfeit.”

Lena nodded. Kelly squeezed her hand.

“Just let me know if you need anything,” Kelly told her.

“I will,” Lena assured her, though part of her was uncertain. So much had happened so quickly, and her mind hadn’t had time to process it yet. But Kelly seemed to understand this and just nodded.

Lena followed Andrea and her mate to her new quarters. It was smaller than Kara’s, just a bedroom with no dining area, and the walls couldn’t transform into windows because it was on the interior of the ship. Apparently Kara’s room was a nicer because she was the ship’s second in command. Some of Lena’s clothes— the clothes Kara had prepared for her— had been brought to the room and stored there, as had the tablet Lena had been using to study Kryptonian culture.

“You slept through lunch, but would you like to eat dinner with us?” Andrea asked. “Normally we eat with the crew, but if you’d rather not eat with a crowd, we can have food brought to our quarters or yours.”

“I think… I think I would just like to be alone for a little while, if that’s okay,” Lena told her.

Andrea nodded. “Of course. I’ll just have food brought to you here.”

“Thank you,” Lena said. She sat on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers over the soft gray blanket.

“Hey,” Andrea said, drawing her gaze back up. “I know you’ve been through an awful ordeal. Having your choices taken away…”

“I wouldn’t have chosen death, Andrea,” Lena said honestly. “If she had asked me, I wouldn’t have chosen death.”

Andrea studied her for a moment, then nodded. “But…”

Lena sighed. “I’m still angry that I didn’t get a choice.”

“That’s understandable, Lena, and completely rational,” her friend said, reaching out to rub Lena’s spine comfortingly. “When you’re ready, we can talk about the choices you do have now, okay? But take as much time as you need.”

Lena nodded in agreement and watched as Andrea left her in the room.

Alone.

It was an odd feeling. She had been left alone in Kara’s quarters for hours at a time over the past two days— the longest two days of Lena’s life, she was sure— but she had never felt quite alone. She had always known that the Kryptonian Alpha would be back at the end of the day. The room had always smelled faintly of Kara, a soft floral, herbal scent and a musky undertone that Lena thought went beyond any perfume or body wash and to the core of Kara’s being. This room smelled clean, almost sterile— empty.

But being alone gave her time to think, and she needed that more than ever. She had questions, perhaps more now than before, some for Russ-El and Andrea, some for Kara, when she decided if she wanted to speak with her again. And she needed to plan, needed to figure out exactly what she wanted.

That last part was fairly simple. Her goal had not changed in the last day. She wanted to go home. It was figuring out how to get there that was complicated. Though, perhaps Kara subverting the rules of the Collection would actually prove to Lena’s advantage when it came to that.

That night, Lena was surprised to find that she slept like the dead. She blamed stress and her body recovering for that, because her mind certainly wanted to be working. But she woke as the lights began to glow and prepared for her day— she planned for it to be a full one.

When Andrea came and invited her to share breakfast with her and Russ-El, Lena agreed quickly. She joined them in the room beside hers, where Russ was sitting stiffly on the edge of their bed as another Kelex robot placed a tray of food on the bedside table.

“Miss Luthor,” Russ said, standing and bowing slightly.

“Please, you’re Andrea’s mate, you can call me Lena,” she said with a smile.

“Lena,” Russ said. He pulled Andrea into his side and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Andrea’s told me a lot about you, through the years. As horrible as the circumstances that brought you here are, I am glad my mate has her friend in her life again.”

Lena glanced down at her shoes. “That’s actually something I wanted to speak to you about.” She looked up, raising her chin proudly. “I was brought here illegally, as you well know. My Collection process did not follow correct protocol, and Kara Zor-El used subversive tactics to bring me aboard this vessel. My rights have been horribly violated. As such, I demand to be sent back to Earth.”

Russ sighed. “Lena, I’m sorry, but I don’t have the authority to return you. My job is to oversee the Collection process, to make sure that protocol is followed. If I had caught Kara Zor-El before she brought you aboard, perhaps I could’ve stopped it, but regrettably I did not. Now that you’re here, there’s nothing that I can do.”

“But there must be someone who can, someone who does have that kind of authority!” Lena exclaimed. “I wasn’t allowed to set any of my affairs in order. I was head of a company that employed thousands of people, who knows what will become of my company or my employees. If my Collection was allowed, outside of protocol, then what’s stopping it from happening in the future?”

“I agree with you, Lena, honestly,” Russ said. “But as I said, my hands are tied.”

“She could go to the General,” Andrea said from behind them.

“Who?” Lena asked.

“Andrea, I don’t think that would be wise,” Russ replied anxiously.

“Who is the General?” Lena asked.

“She’s the highest in command on this vessel,” Russ explained. “She oversees all of the Collection vessels on this mission.”

“Well, then, take me to her,” Lena demanded.

“It’s not that simple,” Russ said. “She’s also Kara Zor-El’s aunt.”

Lena’s breath caught in her throat. “She’s what?”

Russ nodded. “General Astra was Kara’s mother’s sister. She’s not a particularly pleasant individual, in my experience, but she has a soft spot for her niece. It’s why Kara has such a high rank though she’s young and unmated. I wouldn’t even put it past Astra to have had some part to play in your illegal Collection, though I can’t prove it.”

Lena swallowed down the lump in her throat. The odds certainly weren’t in her favor. “It can’t hurt to try, though, right?”

Russ sighed. He looked from Lena to Andrea and then back again before nodding, though his expression was grim. “Yes, you’re right. I wouldn’t get your hopes up, but it’s worth a try. I’ll take you to see her after breakfast, alright?”

“Yes, thank you, Russ-El,” Lena said.

“Of course,” the Kryptonian said with a slight smile. “Anything for my mate’s best friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Lena meets General Astra and speaks to Kara again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena meets General Astra, then has a heart-to-heart with Kara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG two chapters in under 24 hours? What?  
> I honestly think I’ve set a new personal record with how much I’ve written in the last 3 days.  
> Back to the real world tomorrow though, so it’ll probably be another wait until Chapter 10.

Lena ate, if only because of Andrea’s insistence that she needed to keep her strength up to recover. Though the Kryptonian foods were richly spiced, she could hardly focus on the taste as she forced herself to chew each bite. Instead, she grilled Russ-El on information about General Astra.

The General was Kara’s aunt, twin sister of Kara’s late mother. They were remarkably rare identical twins, even more remarkable because one was an Alpha and the other an Omega. General Astra had served in Krypton’s army during the war with Daxam, and had lost her mate and young daughter when the Daxamites seeded Krypton with the deadly virus. She had devoted herself to military service after that, leaving her young niece to be raised in an orphanage. When Kara grew up and joined the military herself, Astra had taken her under her wing, which allowed Kara to rise through the ranks quickly.

Once breakfast was finished, Lena followed Russ-El and Andrea through the halls of the ship. The warnings from both Kara and Kelly flashed through her mind, but as they passed humans and Kryptonians working throughout the ship, they looked at her with little more than passing curiosity before continuing on their way. It was a sharp contrast to what Lena had been expecting, what Kara had made her expect, and the realization left her seething with anger, but she couldn’t address that yet.

They stopped outside a set of double sliding doors, and Russ-El placed his palm against the surface. A moment later the doors slid open with a hiss and they stepped inside.

“You’re a foolish girl. Did you expect her to ask you to mate her? To fall in love with you? We’re Alphas, Kara. Such emotions are beneath us. What have I told you? An Alpha takes what they want, and if you wanted the human…”

“General Astra,” Russ-El interrupted. Lena stepped around him to see further into the room.

It appeared to be a control room, completely circular and mostly white, with blue holographic screens and multiple control panels. The room was empty, save for two figures. Kara sat in a chair in the center of the room, and another woman stood over her. The resemblance between aunt and niece was clear, leaving Lena with no doubt that this was the General Russ-El had spoken of. She wore a uniform similar to Kara’s, dark blue trimmed in silver, but the insignia on her shoulder— the sign of her House, Lena had learned— was also different. Her hair was dark brown, with a stark streak of silver on one side, and her eyes, while remarkably similar in color to Kara’s, were cold.

“Officer Russ-El,” Astra said, turning. “I suppose you’re here about my niece’s alleged crimes?”

“No,” Lena interrupted, stepping around the Kryptonian. “He’s here because I asked him to bring me to you.”

“Ah,” Astra said, stepping away from her niece and toward Lena. Behind her, Lena saw Kara sit up straighter in the chair, her hands gripping it so hard that her knuckles turned white. “So you’re the human that has my niece so out of sorts.”

“Lena Luthor,” Lena said, standing straighter. The Kryptonian was taller than her, and clearly used to being in charge, but Lena was used to dealing with people like that. She adopted her boardroom stance, as her assistant had called it, a demeanor she had perfected over years of dealing with her family members and the privileged men and women they did business with.

“Astra In-Ze, General and Head of Argo’s Collection Force,” Astra replied. “I’ll save us both time, Miss Luthor. I know what my niece has done, but I must say that I empathize with her reasoning. If I were you, I might find myself grateful to the person who saved my life.”

Lena frowned but kept her composure. “Don’t get me wrong, General, I am grateful to be alive. In spite of the situation, I don’t think your niece is a bad person, just someone who made difficult decisions in a very difficult situation. I can’t even say that, had I been given the choice, I wouldn’t have chosen to undergo the procedures she ordered to save my life. However, I wasn’t given a choice. I was taken from my home planet against my will with no time to get my affairs in order. Collection procedure was bypassed and subverted to bring me aboard this ship and I was subjected to invasive medical procedures without my consent. My rights have been violated, even if it was done with good intent.”

Astra studied Lena, then turned away, looking back at her niece. Kara sat stiffly in the chair, watching Lena with a concerned but relieved expression.

“What would you have me do then, Miss Luthor?” Astra asked finally, turning back around to face her.

Lena stiffened her spine, standing as straight as she could. “I demand that you return me to Earth.”

The General’s brows shot up almost comically. A moment later peals of laughter burst from her throat, and the sound made Lena grit her teeth in frustration.

“Oh, you are something,” Astra said. “I can see why my niece was so taken with you now. But I think she may have misjudged you— she’s certainly not a strong enough Alpha to tame an Omega like you.”

“General—“ Russ began.

“Quiet, Officer,” Astra hissed, shooting Russ-El a sharp look. “I suppose she made the same demand of you but instead of refusing her outright you decided to bring her to me?”

“Russ-El told me he did not have the authority to make such a decision,” Lena said.

“He’s correct, he does not,” Astra agreed. “That kind of authority rests in me, and even so it’s a moot point. Even if I granted you permission to leave this ship, I can’t send you back to Earth now that you’ve undergone the genetic modification procedure. Your own government has outlawed it. They made their decision when they set up the Collection process— believe me, I was there. They want as little to do with aliens as possible, and once you have our DNA they see you as one of us and no longer one of them. Do you know what they would do if I sent you back? They certainly wouldn’t welcome you with open arms. They would return you to us, even if we didn’t want you.”

Astra stepped away, circling around behind Kara’s chair with a flourish.

“On the other hand, there is at least one person on this ship who wants you,” she continued. “My niece may not be the strongest Alpha, but she isn’t undesirable. You would do well with her as a mate. The two of you would make strong pups.”

Lena bristled in frustration. “I will not be reduced to nothing more than a breeding bitch.”

“Lena—“ Kara exclaimed, but Lena had heard enough. She turned and fled from the room, pushing past Andrea and Russ-El.

The halls of the ship twisted in a circular pattern, and she dodged Kryptonians and humans alike as she hurried away. She couldn’t remember the path back to her quarters, didn’t want to go back there, to her cage. Her frustration bubbled up, and she fought to push it down, to remember that she was a Luthor and she just needed a plan…

“ _Zhgam_!”

Lena was stopped by a wall of flesh. She stepped back and looked up at the Kryptonian she had run into. This one was male, taller than Russ-El, with long brown hair tied back in a clip and a gray uniform.

“Stop, human,” the Kryptonian said, looking down at her. “You shouldn’t be running, you could get hurt.”

“I’m sorry,” Lena said. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No,” the man said, puffing out his chest. “Of course not.”

Lena fought the urge to roll her eyes at his obvious posturing. She looked around and through glass to one side of the hall saw a large open area filled with plants of all different varieties. A group of children sat in the center of the large room, with several adults who appeared to be teaching them.

“I don’t believe I’ve met you before,” the Kryptonian said, pulling Lena’s attention back to him. “My name is Ty-Vel.”

“Lena,” she said, looking around the hall.

“Lena,” he said slowly, as if tasting the name in his mouth. “And who is your mate?”

“I don’t have one,” Lena replied, and the man’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ty-Vel, I’m afraid I’ve gotten horribly turned around. Could you possibly show me to my quarters?”

“Of course,” he replied. “Do you know which quadrant you’re staying in?”

“Quadrant?” Lena asked. “No, I don’t. I know I’m staying beside Russ-El and Andrea, if that helps.”

“Yes, it does actually,” he replied. “Just come with—“

Before Ty-Vel could finish his sentence a loud growl filled the corridor. They both turned quickly, but just as Ty-Vel moved strong hands gripped the front of his uniform and pushed him against the wall.

“Do not touch her!” Kara snarled, her face inches from the other Alpha’s. She was smaller than the male Kryptonian, but something about her seemed to exude a strength that went beyond physicality. A thick, musky scent filled the air and made Lena’s entire body flush.

“She is unmated, Kara Zor-El, I would never touch her without her consent,” Ty-Vel rebuked.

“She is _mine_ ,” Kara growled.

“I most certainly am not!” Lena exclaimed. “Let him go and stop talking about me like I am something to be owned!”

Kara’s eyes widened, and she seemed to come out of a trance. She backed away from Ty-Vel, who pushed himself off the wall and began straightening out his uniform.

“I’m sorry, Ty-Vel,” Kara said, bowing her head in apology.

“Apology accepted, Kara Zor-El,” he replied. He looked back and forth between Lena and Kara for a moment before turning and walking quickly away.

“Lena—“

“That was ridiculous,” Lena chastised. “You have no right to behave that way, Kara. You don’t own me!”

“No, I don’t, and I’m sorry,” Kara said earnestly. “ _Rao_ , I just keep messing this up. I’m sorry, I just… My Alpha side is possessive over you. I’ll do my best to rein it in. I’m sorry…”

“Stop saying you’re sorry,” Lena scoffed. “Just don’t do it again.”

They stood in awkward silence for a long moment. Lena stepped past Kara, toward the windows that looked down on the planted room below.

“What is this?” she asked.

“It’s our conservatory,” Kara told her. “We grow plants from all over the universe, though most are from Argo and Earth. It’s where we grow fresh fruits and vegetables that we serve with our meals. And it doubles as a recreational space. My favorite time to visit is at night, though. The lights here also have a day/night cycle, and some of the plants glow in the dark.”

“Bioluminescence,” Lena murmured.

“Exactly.” Kara shuffled awkwardly. “Lena, I really am sorry—“

“I told you to stop saying that,” Lena huffed.

“No, not for that,” Kara said quickly. “Well, yes, about that. But for everything else.”

“You saved my life,” Lena said softly.

“I’m not sorry for that part,” Kara amended. “But for everything it entailed, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I had to take you away from your home. And I’m sorry that I made such drastic decisions without your consent. If there had been a way to ask for your permission… well…”

“Would you have asked?” Lena asked curiously.

Kara bit her lip. “I’m afraid you would’ve said no.”

Lena leaned against the glass behind her and studied the Kryptonian. “I think I would’ve said yes, if given the choice. I wouldn’t have wanted to die.”

“Oh,” Kara said. “Well… That’s good. Yeah.”

“Where are Russ-El and Andrea?” Lena asked, changing the subject.

“Still getting dressed down by my aunt, most likely,” Kara replied. “She’s not someone you want to anger, Aunt Astra.”

“She seemed upset with you,” Lena commented.

“She’s always upset with me,” Kara sighed. “My aunt has… very strong opinions, I guess, about how an Alpha should behave. I’ve never quite met her expectations.”

“From what I gather, I don’t think I would like you very much if you met her expectations,” Lena said honestly.

Kara inflated like a balloon in front of her. “You like me then?”

“I— I don’t dislike you, necessarily,” Lena said, skirting the question. “You’re not a bad person, Kara Zor-El, in spite of doing some questionable things. Your intent was good, I know that.”

Kara smiled and looked down at her feet. “You’re very brave. There aren’t many people who speak to my aunt the way you did. I have no right, but it makes me proud.”

This time it was Lena who looked down. “Well, a lot of good it did me. You’re not upset that I asked to go home?”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Kara said with a grin.

Lena smiled back. Kara leaned against the opposite wall and looked at her with a faraway expression on her face.

“What are you thinking?” Lena asked, curious.

Kara blushed. “It’s foolish.”

“I want to know,” Lena said.

“I just…” Kara bit her lip. “I just wish things were different. I wish you would’ve been born on Krypton, that the virus had never happened. That maybe we would’ve met at the market or at a feast for the high houses.”

Lena’s eyes widened at the answer, but Kara continued.

“Or maybe that I had been born a human. That we would’ve met on Earth somehow. Maybe you would’ve bumped into me on the street, and we would’ve started up a conversation. I don’t know. Anything but this.”

Lena swallowed down the emotions that bubbled up in her throat. “What would you have done then? If we had met differently?”

Kara fixed her with an intent gaze. “I would have courted you, properly. On Krypton my parents would’ve gone to your parents to request permission for us to court. If permission was granted, I would’ve paid visits to your home, and you to mine. We would’ve accompanied each other to public events and spent quiet days getting to know each other.”

“What about on Earth?” Lena asked.

“I don’t know much about courtship on Earth,” Kara laughed innocently. “But I think I would’ve asked you to share meals with me. Spent hours talking to you, getting to know the real you. I would’ve met your family, and introduced you to mine. I think my parents would’ve loved you, especially my mother.”

“Lena!”

Andrea rounded the corner surprisingly quickly for a pregnant woman, followed by Russ-El hot on her heels. Andrea looked at Kara suspiciously as she came to stand beside Lena.

“Are you alright?” she asked, her eyes still on Kara though the question was clearly directed at Lena.

“I’m fine. Disappointed, but fine,” Lena said.

“And you and Kara…” Andrea said, looking between them.

“Talking,” Lena told her firmly. “We needed to talk about some things anyway, so it was good to clear the air.”

She doesn’t mention Kara pinning Ty-Vel against the wall. She’s not sure why. She knows it’ll upset Andrea, and rightfully so, but…

“Well, I have duties to attend to,” Kara said, bowing her head. “Andrea. Russ. Lena.”

Lena couldn’t help but watch as Kara walked away, following her with her eyes. She couldn’t miss the stubborn set of the Kryptonian’s shoulders, or the way her fists clenched at her sides.

“I don’t think she liked me interrupting,” Andrea commented with a giggle.

“It’s fine,” Lena said. “She was just telling me about the conservatory.”

“Would you like to go see it?” Andrea asked.

“Not right now,” Lena replied. “But could you show me the rest of the ship? If I’m allowed to leave my quarters, I’d at least like to know my way around so I don’t get lost.”

“Andrea can show you around,” Russ replied. “But just keep in mind, while it’s illegal for any Alpha to force you to do anything against your will, I don’t recommend you going out of your quarters alone. We haven’t had an unbonded Omega on Krypton in over twenty years, so I’m not sure how any unmated Alphas might react to you. And if any of them are untoward, be sure to let me know so I can deal with them appropriately.”

“Of course,” Lena agreed, though after the way everyone on the ship had behaved today she didn’t think Russ-El had much to worry about. “Andrea? Shall we.”

“I’ll see you later, my love,” Andrea said, standing on tiptoe to give her mate a quick kiss on the cheek before linking her arm with Lena’s and heading in the opposite direction. “The dining hall is this way…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless self-promotion: If you want something cute and fluffy and non-ABO I’m also working on a 101 Dalmatians AU, so check that out. And if you want a finished fic that’s totally different, read my Mother of Dragons fic.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena’s still trying to find a way off the ship.  
> We learn more about Kara’s choice to save Lena.  
> Kara gets jealous and Lena gets angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good news: I now have a lot of free time to write.  
> The bad news: I have all this time because I’m out of work sick with the flu.
> 
> Seriously, I feel like crap but I’m also writing voraciously so there’s that. So if there’s any typos or errors or just stupid stuff that doesn’t make sense, I blame the flu medicines I’m taking.

The following morning found Lena in Andrea’s lab aboard the ship.

“Wow, this is nice,” Lena commented as she looked around the space.

“Lena!” Andrea exclaimed, looking up from her work. “How did you… Did you come here by yourself?”

“One of the crew members showed me the way,” Lena said, inspecting the projects that were lying on Andrea’s workbench. “She was very polite. Tala Ru-Vers, or something like that, I’m not sure how you keep all their names straight.”

“Once you learn their House symbols it gets easier,” Andrea told her. “But seriously, Lena, I thought you were staying in your room today. If you wanted to come with me you should’ve accompanied me this morning, or sent word by one of the service robots and I would’ve come to escort you here. It’s not—“

“Not safe, yes, that’s what everyone keeps telling me, but every Kryptonian on this ship has been nothing but polite to me,” Lena shrugged. “Are you still working on the virtual reality tech you started on Earth?”

“I am. The Kryptonians are hoping to make a virtual model of their home planet. That way future generations can experience it, even though it’s no longer inhabitable,” Andrea replied, but she was no longer focused on her work. “Lena, until you’re bonded…”

“What does that even mean? Is it like a marriage ceremony or something?” Lena asked, her frustration leaching into her voice.

“Not quite,” Andrea said. “I take it you haven’t gotten to that chapter in your modules.”

Lena looked away quickly. She had abandoned the educational modules on the tablet after confronting Kara about those dreaded heat cycles, instead focusing her time on the tablet on researching other things.

“Well, in a normal process,” Andrea began, “once a human and Kryptonian have decided they want to become mates, the human undergoes the genetic modification process. It uses that particular Kryptonian’s DNA because they’ve found that makes it easier for the human to conceive with that particular Alpha. It changes your reproductive system so that you’ll go through heats, and it also makes you release certain pheromones that will attract Alphas to you— and not just the Alpha your DNA matches, any unmated Alpha.”

“Then what the hell is bonding?” Lena asked.

“It’s this,” Andrea said, reaching up and pulling aside the neck of her shirt to expose a patch of scar tissue. Lena stepped closer to get a better look and realized it was teeth marks.

“Christ, Andrea, what the fuck?” she exclaimed.

Andrea rearranged her shirt to mostly cover the mark. “After an Omega’s DNA is changed, when they have sex with their Alpha, they each bite one another on the neck like this. It leaves a permanent scar and bonds you to that person. From that point on, you only want that person. Sure you might find another person attractive, or their pheromones might stir up your sexual urges, but you’ll only be satisfied by your mate.”

“So no infidelity, that’s a plus” Lena said, fidgeting with a small metal device from Andrea’s table. Now that she thought about it, she could remember seeing the edge of a scar at the edge of Russ-El’s collar, and the same on Kelly and Alex’s necks.

“It’s a survival mechanism,” Andrea told her. “It stabilizes their society, makes raising offspring safer and more successful. It’s… wonderful really.”

“I never imagined Andrea Rojas would be preaching the benefits of monogamy,” Lena said with a wag of her eyebrows.

“Oh, stop,” Andrea said, nudging her shoulder. “And put that down before you break it. I know I was far from chaste when we were in school together but with Russ… Look, I knew pretty soon after I met him that he was it for me. He’s a good guy and so good to me. Like two dates in I wanted him to be mine, and to be his.”

Lena frowned. “You got that choice.”

Andrea took her hand. “Look, I know we haven’t really talked about this but… It’s possible that you might have a choice, too. Not to get out of this completely, which I know is what you want, but maybe to choose who will be your mate, at least.”

“But Kara’s DNA…”

“Makes it easier for the two of you to have children together, yes,” Andrea said. “But it doesn’t make it impossible for you to have children with another Alpha, I don’t think. From what I’ve read on the early stages when they were researching the process, some of the first humans who were genetically modified all used the same batch of DNA from the same Alpha, but they were able to mate with different Kryptonians. It was only after a few rounds that they realized that it would make it easier to conceive if they used their particular mate’s DNA in the process.”

Lena took a moment to take in this new information. “But… Would they even want me? Knowing that I’ve already been modified with Kara’s DNA?”

“Lena, honey, have you looked in a mirror?” Andrea said, and this time it was Lena who shoved her. “Plus, I’m not an expert on this, but it might even be possible to change your DNA again, you know, overwrite it with another Alpha’s.”

Lena’s head shot up at that. “What?”

“You’d have to ask Alex Dan-Vers to be sure, since she’s the ship’s expert on the process. But I think she could…”

“If she could change my DNA again, maybe she could just undo what’s already been changed!” Lena exclaimed. “Andy, you’re a genius!”

“That’s not what I—“

“I need to go see Alex,” Lena said, eyes wide. She jumped up from the bench and headed for the door.

“Wait, Lena, just let me put this up and I’ll go with you!” Andrea shouted, but Lena was already out the door and practically sprinting toward the medbay.

“Alex!” she called loudly when she entered— which was really unnecessary because the Kryptonian in question was in closest station near the door, wrapping a bandage around a young child’s ankle while his mother stood nearby.

Alex’s gaze darted to Lena and she held up a hand, telling her to wait a moment while she finished wrapping the bandage.

“Alright, buddy, you’re good to go,” she said to the boy, ruffling his brown hair. “No running or kicking for at least a week, alright?”

“Alright,” he agreed. The boy’s mother scooped him up into her arms and carried him out of the medbay past Lena.

“Lena, did you come here all by yourself?” Alex asked.

“Yes, and if one more person tells me that it’s not safe I might scream, so save it,” Lena huffed. “Listen, Alex, I need to ask you something. Is it possible for you to overwrite the genetic modification you did on me?”

Alex’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Andrea mentioned that it might be possible for you to overwrite Kara’s DNA with another Alpha’s DNA, is that a possibility?” Lena asked.

“I’m not sure,” Alex said, crossing her arms as she thought. “I’m not sure it would be safe, honestly. DNA is malleable to an extent, but we don’t want to change it too much and cause damage. If you want to take another Alpha as a mate, it’s already possible. Your chances of conception with an Alpha other than Kara are lower but not zero.”

“And what about undoing the process entirely?” Lena asked.

Alex’s face fell. “Lena…”

“Alex, everyone’s been saying that the main reason I can’t be returned to Earth is because human governments made it illegal for a woman who’s been genetically altered to come back,” Lena said quickly. “If you can just undo the process, then it would be perfectly legal. I could go home.”

“Lena… It’s never been done before. It’s not something we have the ability to do. It took us years to develop the proteins we use to add Kryptonian DNA to a human’s genome. Removing it would likely tear your DNA apart, make your cells incredibly unstable. Your body would fail, it would kill you. And if I remember correctly, you didn’t want to die, am I right?”

Lena bit the inside of her cheek. “You’re right. I don’t want that.”

“I know it’s hard to hear, and I’m sure everyone keeps saying it,” Alex said. “But the best advice I can give you is to try to make your best life with us.”

Lena looked up sharply. “And I suppose you think that my best life would be with Kara?”

Alex raised her hands in mock surrender. “ I never said that. I mean, would I love it if you and my sister could be happy together? Yes, of course. Do I think you’re compatible? Possibly. But she knew when she decided to use her vial on you that there was a chance you wouldn’t choose her in the end, and she was willing to take that chance.”

“Her vial?” Lena asked.

Alex’s eyes widened again and she ran her fingers through her short hair. “Dammit. I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

“Mother fu— Alex, if there’s something _else_ that you’re all keeping from me, then I deserve the truth,” Lena demanded.

“You do,” Alex agreed. “It’s just… Kara didn’t want you to feel obligated to her, in any way.”

Lena crossed her arms. “Believe me, there’s nothing that would make me feel obligated to her.”

Alex sighed. “When Kryptonians set the protocols for mating with humans, there was some concern that some might take the process lightly, or that they might, um, get chilly feet—“

“Cold feet,” Lena interrupted.

“Huh?” Alex said.

“Get cold— You know what, never mind, continue.”

“There was concern that a Kryptonian and a human might decide to mate, and the woman undergo the genetic modification procedure with that Alpha’s genes, but then the Alpha back out before actually mating with the Omega,” Alex explained. “It has never happened, but it was a concern. Naturally nobody wanted the human women to undergo such a drastic procedure only for the Alpha to back out, so our Council made a law that would make Alphas take the process even more seriously.

“A vial is created for every eligible Alpha— just one vial— containing the serum used to modify a human’s DNA and that Alpha’s DNA. Once that vial is used on a human, they cannot get another. If for whatever reason one of the pair backs out after the modification process is complete, then the Alpha has lost their chance at having a mate.”

“So Kara… Kara used her one shot at having a mate on me?” Lena asked. Alex nodded in confirmation. “Idiot. Why would she do that? She doesn’t even know me.”

“I can’t speak for my sister,” Alex said. “But apparently Kara felt like she knew enough about you to believe that saving you was worth it. I think she held out hope that you would grow to care for her, still does, in fact. That’s up to you, but I think you deserve to have all the facts to make your decision about her, and about the life you want here.”

Lena nodded. “Thank you, Alex. I appreciate your honesty.”

“Anytime,” Alex said.

“I need to get back to my quarters,” Lena said, standing suddenly.

“Let me walk you back,” Alex said. “You shouldn’t be in the halls by yourself.”

“I’ll be fine!” Lena snipped. “I just… I just need to be alone.”

She hurried from the room before Alex could stop her. She shuffled her way down the hallway, trying to blink the tears out of her eyes.

For a moment she had had hope but then…

“Lena?”

The masculine voice calling her name pulled her out of her thoughts. She blinked quickly and looked up to see a Kryptonian with brown hair and a gray uniform approaching her.

“Oh, hello,” she said. “It’s Ty-Vel, right?”

“Yes,” the Alpha said, seeming pleased that she remembered. “Have you lost your way again?”

“No,” Lena replied. “No, I’m just heading back to my quarters.”

“Would you like me to escort you?”

“Why does everyone want to escort me everywhere I go?” Lena exclaimed. Ty-Vel’s eyes widened at her outburst. “I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that, Ty-Vel. I’m just… frustrated, right now.”

“Oh, well, I cannot speak for anyone else,” Ty-Vel said. “But I simply wish to escort you because I would like to speak with a lovely human such as yourself. That’s all.”

Lena studied the Kryptonian with narrowed eyes. Her gaze landed on the side of his neck, the place Andrea said a mated Kryptonian would have a mark, and saw that it was bare. The warnings she had been given flashed through her mind, but Ty-Vel’s posture was relaxed, his demeanor non-threatening, and his expression seemed genuinely interested. Besides, if she was supposed to have the option to mate with an Alpha besides Kara, she had to meet and get to know them somewhere.

“I’d like that,” she said, giving him her most coquettish grin.

Ty-Vel smiled victoriously and held out his arm. “Lena?”

She slipped her hand into the bend of his arm and he began walking down the hall toward her room.

“So what do you do on the ship, Ty-Vel?”

——

That evening, for the first time, Lena joined Andrea and Russ-El to eat dinner with the rest of the crew in the dining hall. This was apparently how most of the crew took their regular meals, though sometimes they would eat in their rooms with smaller family groups or friends who wanted privacy for some occasion. Many tables were positioned throughout the room— Andrea and Russ-El made sure to choose a table on the opposite side of the room from where Lena could see Kara sharing a meal with General Astra. Food was arranged buffet style around the room, and crew members helped themselves. Andrea cautioned Lena to avoid any dishes in red bowls, as those items were actually dangerous for humans to eat, and to limit portions of anything in orange bowls, as those items held no nutritional value for humans.

“You should try these,” a deep feminine voice said into Lena’s ear, gesturing to an orange bowl. “It’s a creature from Tandu, an oceanic planet. My cousin’s mate says it reminds her of calamari, whatever that is, but spicy. It gives Kryptonians a nutrient needed to sustain our bones in space, but does little for humans beyond the taste.”

Lena looked up at the Kryptonian who was speaking to her. She had dark skin, sleek black hair, and gray eyes. Her uniform was gray like Ty-Vel’s, meaning she worked in maintaining the ship’s many mechanical parts, and her neck was unscarred.

“Thank you, I’ll be sure to try them,” Lena said, picking a few of the fried pieces from the bowl.

“My name is Doan Kern-Ro,” the Alpha said. “May I join you for dinner?”

“Only if you tell me what the rest of this is,” Lena said with a smile.

Doan explained the other dishes nearby and helped Lena select her meal. Then she followed Lena to the table where Russ-El and Andrea were already sitting.

“Do you two mind if someone joins us?” Lena asked, talking her seat.

“Not at all,” Andrea said with a sly grin that Lena recognized from their schooldays. “Who’s your friend?”

Doan, it turned out, was the lead chemical engineer working on the ship’s engine, maintaining the delicate chemical processes that kept the ship running and allowed it to travel through space. Back on Argo, she worked to develop more efficient methods of space travel. Lena found her conversation riveting, comparing many of her projects to those she had begun seeking clean energy at LuthorCorp.

“I could show you the engine core sometime, if you would like,” Doan said with a grin as they stepped back toward the buffet for dessert— Lena had found that Kryptonians as a whole had an excessive sweet tooth.

“That would be fascinating,” Lena said excitedly.

Suddenly the sound of bending metal pierced the room, followed by silence. Lena turned quickly to see Kara hurrying from the room, and behind her the table where she was sitting clearly had handprints embedded in the metal surface.

“Lena?” Doan said, but Lena’s feet were moving before her mind could catch up with her.

She shouldn’t care. In fact, she mentally cursed herself for caring at all. But she still found herself following Kara out of the dining hall and into one of the ship’s passageways.

“Kara?” she called after the Kryptonian.

Kara froze mid-stride and turned faster than Lena could blink.

“What are you doing?” Kara demanded, her blue eyes vivid with anger.

“I’m just checking on you,” Lena said, crossing her arms defensively.

“No, what are you doing _in there_?” Kara asked, gesturing toward the dining hall. “What are you doing with Doan?”

Lena scoffed. “That’s none of your business.”

“None of my—?” Kara stepped toward Lena menacingly, then stopped herself. She seemed to shrink in front of Lena, going from larger than life back to her normal self. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. It’s none of my business who you interact with.”

“Damn straight,” Lena muttered in agreement.

Kara looked away for a moment. “Alex told me what you talked about today.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “Of course she did. Why didn’t you tell me that you used your only chance at a mate to save me?”

“I didn’t want you to feel some kind of obligation,” Kara replied. “I wanted to save you because you’re worth saving, not just so you’d be my mate.”

“But you do want me as your mate?” Lena asked.

“Of course I do,” Kara said, her voice dreamlike. “You’re wonderful. You’re smart and kind and good—“

“You don’t even know me!” Lena shouted. “You know what you’ve read in newspapers and magazines. You know things I’ve done in public, you don’t know who I am. You wasted your chance at happiness on a total stranger.”

“Are you… Are you actually angry at me for _saving you_?” Kara asked incredulously.

“No,” Lena defended. “I’m just… It was a stupid thing to do, Kara. And just so you know, I’m grateful, but I don’t feel beholden to you because of it. I’m not going to agree to be your mate just because you used your vial on me.”

“Good,” Kara said. “I think.”

Lena snorted. “God, you’re such an idiot.”

“Hey, I may not be the lead chemical engineer on the ship’s engine, but I’m not dumb,” Kara argued.

Lena’s mouth gaped like a fish. “Is that what this is about? Are you _jealous_?”

“No,” Kara lied.

“You have no right to be,” Lena told her.

“I know I don’t,” Kara sighed. “But you shouldn’t be alone with unmated Alphas.”

“I’m alone with you right now!” Lena exclaimed. “How is that any different?”

“You can trust me,” Kara said.

“Why should I trust you over them?” Lena spat. “Of all the Alphas on this ship, the only one who has done anything to me against my will has been _you_.”

Kara’s eyes widened. She swallowed hard, her lip quivering, and for a moment part of Lena wanted to apologize. But her angry words had been the truth, truth she had been holding inside and allowing to fester for days now, and Kara needed to hear them.

“You’re right,” Kara said finally. “I— I should go.”

The Kryptonian shuffled away down the hall like a kicked puppy, and Lena had to bite her tongue to keep from calling after her.

“Lena, are you alright?”

Lena turned to see Andrea coming around the corner. She had a knowing look on her face.

“You heard?” Lena asked.

Andrea nodded. “Seems like that was a long time coming.”

Lena nodded. “Fuck, I’m just so angry at her but also glad she saved my life in the process and it’s just a lot.”

“I can’t imagine,” Andrea said honestly. “But you don’t have to hold it all in. I know how you are, Lena. You box your feelings up tight and hold them in and try to drown them with alcohol and all it does is make a huge fiery explosion when you do let them out.”

“That’s accurate,” Lena admitted.

“I’ve been on the receiving end of your explosions enough times to know,” Andrea said, bumping her shoulder against Lena’s. “If you need to talk to me, talk to me. If you need to talk to Kelly, you can talk to Kelly. If you need to talk to Kara or yell at Kara, it can be arranged. Just, please, don’t hold it in and do something stupid, okay?”

Lena sighed. “I’ll try my best.”

“That’s… Not actually an agreement, but I’ll take it,” Andrea said. “Now, come on. I saved you some of the chocolate coffee cake and it’s _amazing_ , and I’m not just saying that because I’m hormonal.”

Lena couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey, Andy?”

“Yeah?” Andrea replied.

“I’m glad you’re with me again,” she said honestly.

Andrea’s face softened. “You jump, I jump, right?”

Lena nodded. “You jump, I jump.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could write as fast as my brain came up with stuff, but I have to sleep and hydrate. Bleh.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS STORY IS NOW TAGGED “ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT”
> 
> Trigger warning: Attempted sexual assault in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly wrote this really quickly just to get through it, so if there are any errors, I apologize. I‘m not sure if I should change the content warnings to contain non-con since it’s only in this one chapter.
> 
> Yeah, my flu-sick ass is up at almost 3am writing and posting a second chapter in record time. Here we are. And hopefully the next chapter will be up tomorrow because this ends on a heavy note. Then again the next chapter ends heavy too. I swear, cute fluff will happen eventually in this story.

Over the next week, Lena tried to settle in on the ship. She spent a lot of her time on the tablet, completing the educational modules and studying the Kryptonese language module Kara had placed on it. She spent some time with Andrea in her lab, learning more about her work. She even took time to speak with Kelly who, it turned out, was a very good therapist under normal circumstances. The human-turned-Omega was easy to talk to, and Lena found herself building not only a professional relationship with the woman but a strong friendship.

She accompanied Doan Kern-Ro to the ship’s engine core one day, going deep into the belly of the ship where many people, human and Kryptonian alike, worked to keep everything running smoothly. She even say Ty-Vel there, and talked to him about how he maintained the ship’s breathable air supply. She ate her meals in the dining hall with the crew, and spoke to many different people, both mated pairs and unmated Alphas. After a few days, she found herself growing comfortable around the Kryptonians and their mates.

She didn’t see Kara again. According to Kelly, Kara was taking all of her meals in her quarters, only leaving to go attend to her daily duties as ship captain and then returning every evening. She was trying to give Lena the space she needed, Kelly said, and Lena was grateful for that, in a way.

Lena should’ve known it couldn’t last.

“Oh, shoot!” Lena exclaimed on her way to dinner with Andrea and Russ-El. “I forgot the schematics I was going to show Doan.”

“You can show them to her tomorrow,” Russ said cheerfully. He had grown more relaxed in Lena’s presence over the last few days, now joining in when she and his mate were teasing each other.

“No, I can just run back to my room and get them,” Lena said. “You two go on, I know Andrea needs to feed that little Kryptonian. I’ll catch up.”

They both still got a slightly anxious look in their eyes whenever Lena going off on her own was brought up. But over the last week, Lena’s presence hadn’t caused any issues amongst the unmated Alphas on the ship. Russ swore she was putting off pheromones like a homing beacon, which explained why so many Alphas flocked to interact with her on a daily basis, but all of them were perfectly respectful in her presence.

Lena hurried away before they could say anything further, heading back toward her quarters. She and Doan had been discussing a design that would more efficiently introduce the Kryptonian ore into the ship’s engine, and she had drawn a rough sketch of her idea earlier that day to show the Alpha. It felt wonderful to use her scientific skills again, and she was excited to share her ideas.

A heavy thud greeted her as she made her way toward her quarters, growing louder as she made her way through the corridor. She rounded the last corner to see a large figure in a gray uniform beating his palm against the door of her room.

“Ty-Vel?” she said. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at dinner?”

The Alpha turned and he smiled, but Lena noted that his features seemed stiff.

“I came to see you, Lena,” he said, his tone cheerful but unusually gruff.

“Well, here I am,” she said. “I just need to get something from my quarters, and then I’ll be heading back to the dining hall. Why don’t you accompany me?”

She brushed past the Alpha quickly, resting her palm flat against the door until it slid open. She stepped inside and looked around for her drawings, finding them on the bedside table.

“What’s that?”

She jumped and turned around. Ty-Vel was standing inches behind her, craning to look over her shoulder. His eyes were dark, pupils dilated, and this close Lena could smell a musky, heavy scent rolling off of him in waves.

“Some schematics that I drew up today. I was going to show them to Doan over dinner, but I forgot them,” she said brightly. “Ty-Vel, are you alright?”

“You shouldn’t bother with Doan,” Ty-Vel said, not answering her question. “She’s not a worthy Alpha. She doesn’t deserve your courtship.”

Lena flushed. “We’re not courting, Ty-Vel, we’re just discussing plans for the ship. We should go.”

She moved to step past him, but the Kryptonian blocked her path toward the door. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, and she could feel the tiny hairs at the base of her neck stand on end.

“Ty-Vel, what are you doing?” she asked. “We should go to dinner.”

“No, no dinner,” the Alpha said, shaking his head. “There will be others there, other Alphas. We should stay here, just you and I.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ty-Vel,” she said. “You’re not yourself.”

The Alpha let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Oh but I am. I’m more myself than I’ve ever been. Not having Omegas has trapped our Alphas for so long, made them dormant and weak. But being around you… I’ve found a part of myself that I never knew before.”

Lena shuffled backward, trying to give herself more space to get around the Kryptonian, but he just followed her back.

“Ty-Vel, what are you doing? Why do you smell like that?” Lena asked.

“Don’t you like it?” Ty-Vel asked. “You must like it. Your Omega certainly does. I can smell it. You’re responding to me.”

Lena shook her head, but she knew he was right. She could feel it too, beneath the fear, a primitive lust like nothing she had ever felt before. Her rational mind knew that she didn’t want this, not like this, but her body was responding to the pheromones Ty-Vel was emitting. Her skin flushed and between her thighs...

“Just because my body wants this doesn’t mean that I do,” she said firmly as the backs of her knees hit the edge of her bed. “And it’s against your laws to take an unmated female against her will. You know that, Ty-Vel. You’re a good man, a good Alpha. You don’t want to hurt me.”

“No, I’m not going to hurt you,” he told her even as he stepped into her personal space. “I’m going to make you scream, Lena, but not in pain. You’ll be screaming my name, begging me to mate you and give you my knot.”

Lena gasped as he shoved her back and she fell onto the bed. The Kryptonian climbed over her, evading her kicking legs and grappling fists and reaching for the neck of her blouse. With one strong tug he ripped the front of her blouse open, baring her from neck to navel.

“Ty-Vel, stop, this isn’t what I want, this isn’t what you want,” Lena said as he bent his head and inhaled over the skin between her breasts.

“Yes it is,” the Alpha replied. “God, I want you. Don’t you realize that?”

He thrust his hips firmly against Lena’s, and she could feel the outline of his cock pushing against the gray fabric of his pants. It spurred something in her, both an irrational lust that made her clench and gush between her legs, and a panic that made her fight harder.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, both calling for help and trying to break Ty-Vel from whatever lustful trance he seemed to be under. She kicked and screamed and shoved but the Kryptonian above her was like a living stone, unhurt by her blows or the claw marks she left wherever she could drag her nails. After one blow to his face came too near his eyes, however, he roared and grabbed both of her hands in one of his and stretched them above her head, pinning her.

Lena cried out as the motion pulled painfully at the muscles in her shoulders, and whimpered as droplets of sweat from the Kryptonian’s brow dripped onto the side of her face. Ty-Vel growled into her neck as he mouthed the skin there, the place where Kryptonians bit their mates, and his free hand went lower, fumbling with the fastening of the pants she was wearing.

“Ty-Vel, please, please don’t do this,” Lena begged, but he only growled louder.

A sudden hiss drew Ty-Vel’s attention from her shoulder, but before he could turn around he was ripped away from Lena. Lena shuddered at the sudden blast of cold air against her front, then she looked across the room.

She would recognize Kara’s blonde curls and blue uniform anywhere, but that was where the familiarity ended. The creature that was Kara Zor-El, in that moment, was far removed from the meek Kryptonian Alpha who had fled her presence a week before. Kara snarled as she moved between Ty-Vel and Lena, and the other Alpha roared in response. He swung wildly at Kara, but she dodged his blows, her speed making her almost a blur to Lena’s eyes. With each missed strike, Lena could see the frustration building in Ty-Vel’s face until, with a shout, he charged at Kara with arms outstretched. But it was like Kara had been waiting for this, expecting it. She brought her foot up expertly and delivered a bruising kick to the other Alpha’s chest, sending him flying back to the floor on his ass.

Lena knew Kara well enough to know that under normal circumstances, she would end the fight now, with her enemy on the ground, but these weren’t normal circumstances. She fell on Ty-Vel’s prone form with a savage roar, pulling her fist back over and over and pounding it into the other Alpha’s face.

“You. Will. Never. Touch. Her. Again.” Kara growled between each blow.

“Kara! Kara stop!” Lena shouted, sitting up on the bed. She could see blood streaming from Ty-Vel’s face, dripping onto the floor and staining his gray uniform. “Kara stop, you’ll kill him. Kara!”

The female Alpha froze, fist pulled back, and her eyes widened. Her pupils suddenly shrank, the blue of her eyes returning in a flood. She turned to look at Lena, huddled fearfully on the bed, and suddenly the scent of Ty-Vel’s heavy musk was gone, replaced by a heady herbal scent that calmed Lena’s racing heart.

“Lena,” Kara breathed, her voice rumbling like a purr, just as the doors of the room hissed open again.

“Oh my god!” Andrea shouted. “Oh, god, Lena!”

“Andy!” Lena shouted, opening her arms as Andrea ran to her and pulled her into a protective embrace.

Russ-El stood in the doorway, and behind him Lena could see Doan and General Astra, and behind her Alex and Kelly.

“What happened here?” Russ demanded.

“I was in the hallway when I heard Lena screaming,” Kara said calmly. “When I opened the door I saw Ty-Vel on top of her on the bed, and she was begging him to get off of her.”

Russ-El growled and turned to Lena. “Is that true?”

Lena nodded. “He was knocking at my door when I came back to get the schematics. I didn’t realize… Something wasn’t right about him.”

The Alphas in the doorway all took a deep breath, their nostrils flaring in a way that would’ve been comical in any other situation.

“He’s entered rut,” Russ declared. “Alex…”

“He came to me asking for a suppressant earlier today,” Alex said. “But with an unmated Omega nearby, it must not have been as effective.”

“He tried to—“ Lena began, but her breath caught in her throat and she couldn’t finish her statement.

“It’s alright, Omega, we all know what he tried to do,” Astra said. “Alex, treat his injuries and then put him in one of the reinforced rut cells.”

“Yes, General,” Alex replied. She quickly had two service robots lift Ty-Vel’s unconscious form and carried it from the room, and a third robot began cleaning the blood from the floor.

“Omega, you have been warned about the dangers of interacting with Alphas alone on this ship, and yet you have continued to do so,” Astra said.

“Aunt Astra, this wasn’t her fault!” Kara exclaimed. “Ty-Vel has disgraced himself. He should’ve had more control.”

“Ty-Vel is not you, Little One,” Astra said, and Kara visibly flinched at the pet name. “He has not learned the discipline that you have. None of the Alphas on this ship have.”

“She’s right, Kara,” Lena said softly.

“The hell she is!” Kara argued. She approached Lena softly, and when Lena didn’t flinch away she took Lena’s hands in hers. “You are a strong, independent woman, Lena Luthor, and you should not have to live in fear of being assaulted just because weak Alphas cannot control their urges.”

“Kara’s right, Lena,” Andrea said, but Lena paid them no mind.

“What will happen to him?” she asked, looking between Russ and Astra.

“An Alpha forcing oneself on an Omega is punishable by death,” Russ told her.

“No!” Lena exclaimed. “He shouldn’t die, not because of me.”

“Lena, it’s not because of you, he made his choice,” Kara said.

“He wasn’t in his right mind,” Lena argued. “I’ve talked to him, I know Ty-Vel wouldn’t do that if he was himself. It’s… What did you call it? It’s his rut, that’s what it is.”

“Lena, that is our law,” Russ sighed.

“On Earth, people could plead insanity,” Lena said. “If they weren’t in their right mind when they committed a crime, they could plead insanity. They were still held accountable for their actions, but they received help to control whatever was wrong with them. Hell, it’s the only thing that kept them from giving my brother the death penalty. Can’t you do something like that?”

She looked back and forth between Kara and Astra and Russ, all of whom seemed to be sharing heavy glances and speaking silently between themselves. Finally, Astra spoke.

“He will be tried when we return to Argo,” she said. “The Council will decide his fate. If you wish to speak on his behalf there, then you may. But whether or not your input will sway their decision, I do not know. Our laws are in place to protect women like you, Miss Luthor. If we do not enforce them, then it may lead to more errant Alphas believing that they can get away with what Ty-Vel tried to do to you.”

Astra looked around the room. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. Keep me apprised of the situation, Russ-El.”

“Yes, General Astra,” Russ-El replied.

Kara squeezed Lena’s hands, looking between her and where Andrea was hugging her supportively. “You’re in good hands now. I’ll take my leave as well.”

Lena held fast to one of Kara’s hands as she stood to move away. “Kara?”

The Kryptonian looked down with wide eyes.

“Thank you for saving me,” Lena said. “Again.”

Kara squeezed her hand gently, and Lena had a hard time believing that that same hand had nearly beaten Ty-Vel’s face in.

“I will save you as many times as you need saving, Lena,” she said softly. “Though, I do hope I don’t have to.”

Lena forced a small smile as Kara pulled her hand away and left the room.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, hmm?” Andrea said. “You reek of pheromones, bleh!”

She shuffled Lena toward the bathroom and helped her remove her clothes and get into the shower. The hot water burned against Lena’s skin, but the pain felt good. She grabbed a rough sponge and the sticky body wash and began rubbing at her skin. She felt dirty, as if Ty-Vel’s pheromones had soaked into her skin, so she scrubbed and scrubbed at every inch, until it was raw and burning, and she scrubbed more, until her normally pale skin was an angry red but still nothing seemed to make it go away. She threw the sponge into the floor, and a dark purple stain drew her attention. Bruises had bubbled up on both her wrists, and if she looked hard enough she could just make out the imprints of Ty-Vel’s fingerprints.

“Andy!” she shouted. “Andy! Andy!”

“Lena? Lena, what? Oh, Lena.”

Andrea stepped under the spray with her just as Lena’s legs gave out and the tears began in earnest. She sobbed into Andrea’s soaked blouse, hiccoughing between breaths until she couldn’t stop, couldn’t seem to draw a breath.

“Lena? Lena, honey, breathe. Lena?” Andrea said, shaking her. “Russ! Russ, she’s not breathing! Call Alex! Call someone! Lena! Lena!”

Suddenly the shower door opened and another scent filled the room. It was familiar, so familiar, rich spices and soothing florals.

“You shouldn’t be here, Kara,” Andrea warned.

“She needs to calm down,” Kara said softly, and suddenly her hands were on Lena, pulling her body from Andrea’s and into her own. “Breathe, Lena. In, out, slow, deep. You can do it. That’s it.”

With each shuddering lungful the scent got stronger. _Pheromones_ , Lena’s rational mind realized, and part of her thought that was cheating, but it was calming her. Her heartbeat slowed and her breathing evened out. Something about Kara’s scent calmed her better than the best anti-anxiety medication she had ever taken.

“Let’s get you dried off,” Kara said, picking her up as if she weighed nothing and carrying her from the shower.

She sat Lena on a small stool in the bedroom and Lena found she couldn’t be shy about her nakedness while Kara and Andrea both toweled her off. Andrea held her hands as Kara braided her still-damp hair into a loose braid, and then they pulled her pliant body into a pair of loose pajamas and Kara tucked her beneath the covers of her bed.

“There you go,” Kara said softly, running her fingers through the loose strands of hair at Lena’s temple. “Sleep now, _zhao_.”

Lena reached up and grabbed her wrist. “Don’t go.”

Kara’s eyes widened, and she looked between Lena and Andrea helplessly. Finally Andrea sighed and fixed Kara with a fierce glare.

“Take care of her, Kara Zor-El,” she warned. She bent and pressed a soft kiss to Lena’s temple. “Let me know if you need me, okay?”

“Mmhmm,” Lena nodded.

Andrea left them, and the door slid closed with a hiss behind her. Kara looked from the closed door to Lena’s face.

“Lena, you don’t want me here,” she said softly. “Not after everything.”

“I need you here,” Lena argued. “You keep doing that good-smelly thing and it makes everything okay.”

Kara sighed. “It’s my pheromones.”

“I know,” Lena said with a yawn. “Just… Stay here, please. Just for tonight. I’ll ask Alex to give me something to help me calm down and sleep tomorrow if I still feel like this. But for tonight, please stay.”

Kara bit her lip. “I shouldn’t. I’m an Alpha too, you know. I could do what Russ did. I could start my rut and lose my mind with how much I want you.”

Lena shook her head. “But you won’t. I know you won’t hurt me, Kara Zor-El.”

“How do you know?” Kara asked.

“Because you promised me that you wouldn’t, remember?”

Kara stared at Lena for another long moment before she pulled her wrist from Lena’s grasp. She pulled off her damp uniform and threw it into the floor beside the bed, leaving her only in what looked like a sports bra and compression shorts. She crawled into bed, but stayed on top of the covers. Lena stretched out a hand toward her, and Kara took it in her own.

“Good night, Kara,” Lena said softly, inhaling the rich scent of Kara’s pheromones.

“Good night, Lena,” Kara replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry
> 
> I know some of you saw it coming like 2 chapters ago but I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m still sorry
> 
> And yes, how Lena reacts afterward is going to be addressed in the next chapter as well.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forgiveness and new beginnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one’s a little longer than usual- 4600+ words- but it’s so much good progress for our babies, y’all.

Lena slept surprisingly deeply, but she still awoke early, before Kara. She awoke warm, too warm, and quickly realized that she was cocooned in warm arms. For a moment she panicked, only to realize it was Kara who was holding her. The Kryptonian was still above the covers, but somehow throughout the night both of them had gravitated to the middle of the bed, drawn together like magnets, until they were intertwined, only separated by blankets and sheets.

It wasn’t so bad, Lena surmised. She was comfortable, wrapped in Kara’s arms. Part of her thought she shouldn’t like it so much, after everything Kara had done and after what had happened the day before, but she couldn’t deny the primal pleasure she felt when Kara squeezed her lightly in her sleep and sighed against her forehead.

She could get used to this.

And perhaps that was for the best. Apparently she was pumping out pheromones just like Kara, though she couldn’t sense her own. That was why the unmated Alphas on the ship flocked to her, why they wanted to spend time around her: they all viewed her as a potential mate. And just like Kara had warned her when she first came on the ship, her pheromones had caused Ty-Vel to go into an uncontrollable rut and…

Everyone said it wasn’t her fault, and it wasn’t. But it was her pheromones’ fault. And if Lena had just listened to everyone’s warnings, Ty-Vel wouldn’t have assaulted her. He wouldn’t be sitting in a cell. And he wouldn’t be up for trial whenever he returned to Argo where the penalty could be death.

It couldn’t happen again.

Lena looked up at Kara. Part of her wanted to blame the Kryptonian— after all, Kara had been the one to change her into this— but she couldn’t. Kara had done it to save her life. And Kara wasn’t a bad person. In fact, from their interactions, Kara was actually a good person. She was definitely attractive, Lena couldn’t deny that. She was kind, and gentle toward Lena, but strong. And, dammit all to hell, she was charming. It was impossible to stay angry at Kara, honestly.

If they were mated, it wouldn’t happen again. If Lena would just finish the damn process and let Kara mate with her and bite her, she would no longer be unbonded. Her pheromones wouldn’t drive the unmated Alphas crazy then. Everyone would be safe.

She glanced down Kara’s sleeping form, eyes tracing over her small breasts contained in a tight bra, her defined abdominal muscles, to the compression shorts she wore and the bulge in the front. If Kara was anything like Lena’s past lovers, it would be easy to convince her. All Lena had to do was slip her hand down…

“You’re thinking too loud.”

Lena’s gaze jerked up, but thankfully Kara’s eyes were still closed, so she was unaware that Lena had been staring at her crotch. Her eyelashes fluttered as she yawned and tensed her body. Then her eyes flew open as she realized how close she was to Lena.

“Oh, _Rao_ , Lena, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize, fuck!” she exclaimed as she tried to squirm away, but Lena’s limbs were as firmly wrapped around Kara as Kara’s were around Lena.

“It’s okay, Kara, really,” Lena assured her. “We’re both in the middle of the bed, so I must’ve moved toward you in my sleep, too. And it’s… It’s nice.”

“Yeah?” Kara said wondrously.

“Yeah,” Lena said, snuggling back into the Kryptonian’s warmth. “Don’t you think so?”

Kara sighed and ran her hand up and down Lena’s spine. “Yeah, really nice.”

Lena moved her hand as well, down Kara’s torso to her abs. Kara tensed as Lena began tracing the muscles there, but she didn’t stop her, even as Lena saw a twitch in her shorts.

 _Oh_.

“Kara?”

“Y— Yeah?” Kara stammered.

“I want you,” Lena said, her words little more than hot air against the Alpha’s collarbone.

“Want me to what?” Kara asked.

“I want you to mate with me,” Lena told her.

The sound that ripped from Kara’s throat wasn’t entirely human. Before Lena could process it, Kara had flipped them so that Lena was on her back and Kara was hovering above her. Kara’s lips trailed over the place where her neck met her shoulder, and the hand she wasn’t using to hold herself up skimmed up and down Lena’s side, tracing her form beneath the covers. Kara’s hips flexed into Lena’s, and the motion sent a vile reminder of the night before through Lena’s system, but she ignored it. This was Kara, and she had asked for this, needed it. If she didn’t do this…

Kara froze and huffed against Lena’s neck for a long moment before pushing herself up on her arms and looking down at Lena. She reached up and cupped Lena’s cheek in her hand.

“I want you so much, Lena,” she said, bending her neck so that she could press a soft kiss to Lena’s forehead. “But not now.”

Lena’s whole body seized in surprise. “What? But you told me you would mate with me if I asked.”

“I told you I _wouldn’t_ mate with you _until_ you asked,” Kara said softly. “And I’ll uphold that promise. But you’ve been through an ordeal, Lena. If you still want me when you’ve had some time to recover…”

“I don’t want time to recover!” Lena exclaimed. “I need you to mate with me now!”

Kara’s brow crinkled as she looked down at her. She pushed herself roughly back and looked down at Lena.

“Why do you suddenly want to mate with me, Lena?” she demanded, her voice hard.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lena asked. “The only reason Ty-Vel tried to… The only reason he did what he did is because of my pheromones. If I’m mated to you then I won’t be releasing these pheromones to drive the crew crazy. Isn’t that how it works?”

Kara growled furiously and rose from the bed. “Yes, that’s how it works.”

“Then do it!” Lena said, sitting up.

“I’m not mating with you just so you’ll stop putting out pheromones, Lena,” Kara told her, picking her uniform up off the floor.

“But why not?” Lena demanded. “Isn’t that what you want?”

“No, that’s not… No!” Kara exclaimed. “No, that’s not what I want at all! I don’t want you to mate with me just because you don’t feel like you have a choice!”

“But I thought…” Lena fisted her sheets in the covers in confusion as Kara yanked on her uniform. “You don’t make any sense, Kara Zor-El. You kept me in your room for two days and made me think I didn’t have a choice but to take you as a mate, but at the same time you said you wanted me to ask you. Now I’m asking you and you’re refusing.”

“I want you to choose me!” Kara shouted, looking back at Lena with damp eyes. “ _Rao_ I— I made terrible mistakes at first, Lena, and I’m sorry. But this whole time… I don’t want you to mate with me just because you don’t see any other choice. I want you to choose me. The way Andrea chose Russ-El and Kelly chose Alex. I don’t want you to choose me because of an obligation, I want you—“

“You want me to love you,” Lena whispered. Kara nodded and wiped at her eyes. “Kara, I’m not sure—“

“It’s fine,” Kara sniffed. “I understand if you can’t. But part of me still hopes that you might, someday.” She wiped her cheeks again, then stood up straighter. “But I’m not going to mate with you just to stop you from producing these pheromones. If that’s all you want in a mate, you can find another Alpha. I’m sure there are plenty of them on the ship who would take the offer.”

“Kara—“ Lena began.

“I have duties that I have to report to,” the Alpha said, and then she turned and disappeared through the door before Lena could speak again.

——

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to breakfast?”

Lena looked up from her tablet to where Andrea was standing in the doorway. The medication Alex had given Lena to help her sleep was so strong that she didn’t wake up with the rising lights every morning, and was often a bit lightheaded once she did regain consciousness. For the last four days Andrea had come to her room to wake her and stayed while Lena showered and dressed for the day. It was bittersweet— as much as Lena enjoyed spending time with her friend, she hated the reason behind it.

“No, I’m fine here,” Lena replied. “Kelex will bring me breakfast in a little while.”

“Well, when you’re finished eating, you could come see me in the lab,” Andrea proposed. “I could use another sharp mind, not to mention another pair of hands.”

“Andy,” Lena sighed. “I’m fine. I have a lot to do here.”

Lena could practically hear the anxious thoughts running through her friend’s mind.

“Lena you can’t seclude yourself forever,” she said finally. “What happened with Ty-Vel was not your fault.”

“I know it wasn’t,” Lena said quickly. “You’ve said it before, you and Russ and Alex and Kelly and Kara. And I know that, I do. But that doesn’t change the fact that a man might be facing the death penalty because of some crazy biological response that _I_ triggered.”

Andrea sighed. “Alright. Just… If you change your mind, send word to me and I’ll come and accompany you to the lab, or anywhere else you want to go on the ship.”

Lena nodded in agreement, but she had no intention of leaving the room. The door slid closed behind Andrea with a hiss, and Lena turned her focus to the tablet in her hands.

She had work to do.

Time passed strangely when Lena worked alone. Sometimes she felt as if hours had passed when she had really only been at it a few minutes, other times time flew by and before she knew it a service robot was bringing her next meal. Today was the latter. At some point Kelex delivered her lunch, which Lena barely picked at, but other than that she was left to her work and mostly unaware of the passage of time.

So she wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a robotic voice announced, “Kara Zor-El requests entry.”

Lena looked up from the tablet. She hadn’t see Kara since the morning after Ty-Vel assaulted her. Her own actions from that morning embarrassed her, and for a long moment she contemplated not answering at all, and hoped that the Kryptonian would just go away.

“Kara Zor-El requests entry,” the robotic voice said again, and Lena closed the program on her tablet and tucked it safely beneath her pillow before going to the door.

“Kara,” she said, standing in the open doorway instead of allowing the Alpha into her room. “Can I help you?”

Kara shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. “Lena… Hi. How are you?”

Lena was so tired of that question. Andrea asked her multiple times a day, and her response was always a lie. “Hi. Did you need me for something?”

Kara stopped her shifting and stood straight. “Right. General Astra has requested your presence in the ship’s detention cells.”

Lena’s pulse quickened. “Isn’t that where Ty-Vel is being held?”

Kara nodded. “That’s why you’re being summoned there.”

“And if I refuse?” Lena asked.

Kara bit her lip. “I don’t recommend refusing my aunt, Lena. I’ll be with you the entire time. I won’t let him hurt you.”

Lena paused for a long moment, steeling herself. “Alright then.”

She followed Kara through the ship’s corridors, and an awkward, heavy silence hung between them.

“Kara… Kara I need to apologize,” Lena said finally.

“It’s fine,” Kara said brusquely, not meeting Lena’s gaze.

“No, it’s not,” Lena argued. “I didn’t mean to hurt you when I, well… You know. And I’m sorry that I did. I just didn’t know what else to do.”

“I understand that,” Kara said as they stopped in front of the lift that would take them down to the holding cells. “It’s alright, Lena. I forgive you.”

Lena signed. “Thank you.”

When they stepped into the lift, the air felt lighter somehow.

“I’ve been wanting to ask,” Lena said. “How did you fight off Ty-Vel?”

Kara’s eyes widened in surprise. “I just… I mean, I’m trained in combat…”

“No, it was more than that,” Lena said succinctly. “Ty-Vel is twice your size, Kara. He overpowered me easily. But you ripped him off of me and threw him across the room like he was nothing. And last week, when you were jealous of me spending time with Doan, you bent a metal table.”

Kara leaned against the side of the lift. “It’s because I’m an Alpha, Lena.”

“Ty-Vel is also an Alpha, and so are Russ and Doan and I don’t see them bending metal or fighting off people larger than them.”

“You’re very perceptive,” Kara commented, looking down at her feet as the lift came to a stop. “I’m not… Some Alphas are stronger than others, even if they don’t look it. Often it’s hereditary. The ruling line of the House of El are exceptionally strong Alphas. It’s how my ancestors came to power, centuries ago. But they kept it by being fair leaders and also by making scientific advancements that helped our people. A leader had to be more than strong, they also had to be intelligent and fair— at least, that’s what my father taught me.”

Kara stepped off of the lift and Lena followed her.

“Is that why Astra says you have so much more discipline than other Alphas?” Lena asked.

“To control my strength, the more primal side of me, yes,” Kara nodded. “It got me in trouble a lot, when I came of age, but thankfully someone stepped in and helped me learn control. I hope you’ll meet him when we get to Argo.”

Lena had to bite her tongue at that comment, but suddenly they were there— in a hallway lined with reinforced cells, each with only a small panel to see the person inside. Astra was standing outside the furthest cell, and as they drew closer, Lena could see Ty-Vel’s form through the panel. He didn’t look like himself— his long hair was matted with his own dried blood, his face was swollen and covered with bruises in various shades of black and purple, the sclera of his left eye was red, and his brow and lip were also split and scabbed over. More than that, though, he wasn’t the huge intimidating Alpha that had intruded into Lena’s quarters. He looked small, through the panel, sunken in on himself.

“Miss Luthor, I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve summoned you here,” Astra said. She didn’t waste time in pleasantries, or in asking how Lena was— for which she was grateful. “As you know, the crew on this ship is deliberately small because living space is tight in order to save space for the human women who will be coming aboard in just a few weeks. Ty-Vel’s position maintaining the ship’s breathable air is vital to the health of everyone on the vessel.”

“You want to release him,” Lena concluded.

“He will still be held accountable for his actions,” Astra told her. “Much like my niece, when we arrive back on Argo he will be tried by the Council. But until then, he has a job to do, and I need him doing it.”

“Why did you want me to come here? For permission? As a warning?” Lena asked.

“I wanted you to see that he’s no longer in rut,” Astra explained. “Since he’s gone through his cycle, it will be several months before such a thing affects him again, and at that time we will be on Argo and you will no longer be in his presence.”

Lena weighed Astra’s words in her mind. She stepped closer to the access panel— and she could feel Kara step closer behind her. She leveled Ty-Vel with a stony gaze.

“Can you hear me?” she asked.

“Yes L— Miss Luthor,” Ty-Vel said, his voice rough. “I’m so sorry, Lena, I—“

“Do you know what you’ve done, Ty-Vel?” Lena demanded. “I can’t sleep without medication. I tried to scrub the skin off my bones to get your touch off me. Sometimes when I sit in my room I still smell you and it makes me vomit.”

Ty-Vel dropped his head in shame. “I’m so sorry Lena. If I could go back and change things, I would put myself in this cell before it got so bad. I’ve never had a rut like that, never lost control. I swear to you, when I’m not under the influence of my rut hormones, I’m not like that.”

“And you’re not like that anymore?” Lena asked.

“No!” Ty-Vel exclaimed. “My head is clear now. Before it was like all I could think of was you and your scent. I knew what I was doing was wrong, knew that you didn’t want it, but I just couldn’t stop. It’s like my body just kept going after what it wanted and I couldn’t stop it.”

“So you don’t want me now?” Lena asked.

Ty-Vel looked at his feet. “I won’t lie to you, Lena. I’m attracted to you, even without my rut. And your Omega pheromones call to the Alpha inside me. But free from my rut I can control myself. My actions were shameful, and I will always regret hurting you. I would rather die than do it again.”

“Believe me, if you ever touch her again, I will see to it that you do,” Kara growled over Lena’s shoulder.

“Kara!” Lena exclaimed, but Ty-Vel only nodded.

“Please do, Kara Zor-El,” he said.

“Nobody’s killing anyone, nobody’s dying because of me,” Lena said with a huff. “It’s fine, General Astra. Release Ty-Vel to do his job. I trust that he’s back to normal.”

She stepped back from the door, almost bumping into Kara as she went. Astra placed her hand against the door’s surface and it slid open. Ty-Vel stepped out into the hallway on shaky legs. Before anyone could move he took one long stride toward Lena and dropped to his knees.

“I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Lena,” he said, bowing his head. “I do not deserve to be kneeling at your feet. I deserve to be dead, but you stayed Kara Zor-El’s hand. You have shown me mercy that I do not deserve. I owe a debt to you, Lena Luthor. And if there is anything that I can do for you, now or in the future, I will.”

Lena looked at Ty-Vel with wide eyes. This was not the same Alpha that had pinned her to her bed. This man was something else entirely.

“I don’t understand what you experienced, Ty-Vel,” she said softly. “But I do believe that you had no control over your actions. You think that you do not deserve forgiveness, but I forgive you anyway.”

Ty-Vel looked up sharply. “Thank you, Lena.”

“Come, Ty-Vel, we should get you cleaned up and back to your duties,” General Astra said, pulling the younger Alpha up by the arm. “Kara, escort Miss Luthor back to her room and then get back to your own responsibilities.”

“Yes, General,” Kara said, her voice inexplicably shaky. She turned away quickly, so quickly that Lena had to almost run to keep up.

Kara was silent in the lift, but Lena could almost feel the discomfort rolling off of her in waves. She studied the Kryptonian, but Kara refused to look at her, staunchly focused on the tops of her boots. When the lift doors slid open, she hurried away, and Lena almost stumbled over her feet to keep up.

“Kara, slow down!” Lena huffed. “Kara, if you’re supposed to be escorting me, shouldn’t you be walking at the same pace as me? Kara?”

The Kryptonian stopped so suddenly that Lena bumped into her back, only then realizing they were standing outside Lena’s room.

“Shit, Kara, where’s the fire?” she asked, smoothing down her shirt where she had bumped into Kara.

“What fire?” Kara asked. Her tone was confused, but there was something else. Lena tugged her arm until she turned to face her.

“Kara, why are you crying?” she asked.

“‘M not,” Kara denied, even as she reached up and wiped her face with her sleeve. She sniffled and stood up straighter. “You should go, get back to whatever you were doing.”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong,” Lena said. She noticed two other Alphas walking by at the end of the hall and looking their way, eyes widening when they saw Kara. She knew Kara would hate for others to see her this emotional, so she opened the door to her quarters and tugged Kara inside. “Now tell me what’s gotten into you?”

“It’s none of your business,” Kara said gruffly.

“Kara,” Lena pushed.

“You forgave him!” Kara exclaimed angrily. “How could you forgive him after what he did to you?”

Lena’s eyes widened at Kara’s outburst. “Kara, he wasn’t in his right mind…”

Kara snorted. “He’s weak. He should have more control over himself.”

“Well, not everyone can be you, Kara,” Lena huffed. “And it’s my choice whom I forgive and whom I don’t.”

Kara swallowed hard. “I guess that’s it then. He’s not me.”

Now Lena was confused. “What do you mean?”

“You can forgive him for doing such a horrible thing, but you cannot forgive me for what I did,” Kara cried. “I understand. I cannot forgive myself either. But for some reason some foolish part of me had held out hope that you might forgive me, somehow, someday.”

Lena’s shoulders slumped and she sat on the edge of her bed with a huff. “Oh, Kara.”

“I should go,” Kara said. “I shouldn’t bother you with this…”

“Kara, sit down,” Lena said, her voice firm and brokering no argument. Kara’s eyes widened, but she obeyed the command, sitting perched on the edge of Lena’s bed just inches away, body tense as if she might stand and run at any moment. Lena reached out and grabbed her hand, both to center herself and to keep her from running away.

“I want you to listen to me, because I should’ve said this before, should’ve said it the moment I realized it myself. What you did to me, it wasn’t right. You invaded my privacy, took me from my home, you changed my DNA, all without my consent. But I understand that you did it to save my life, you did it for a good reason.” Lena took a deep breath. “I still don’t understand why you felt like you needed to save me, why you gambled your chance at having a mate on me when you only knew me from articles and newsreels. But I’m glad you did. I’m grateful to be alive. I still wish I could go home, but you’re not the one keeping me from that, that’s the human government. And I was angry— I’m still angry— at that, but I’m not angry at you, okay? Kara, I forgive you for what you did. I forgive you.”

Tears filled Kara’s eyes and she fell against Lena. She buried her face in the shoulder of Lena’s blouse and Lena stroked up and down her back.

“Thank you,” Kara chanted. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

“Shh,” Lena said. “It’s okay, Kara. We’re okay.”

Kara pulled away finally, eyes red. She reached up and rubbed at her cheeks and sniffled.

“You probably think I’m a terribly weak Alpha, crying on you all the time,” she said.

“Not at all,” Lena told her. “Honestly, it makes you a lot more human.”

Kara smiled meekly, and Lena smiled back in return.

“I should go,” Kara said, standing. “I really should go. Astra is already going to have my head for being away from my duties for this long.”

“If you’re sure,” Lena agreed.

“I’m sure,” Kara said, rocking onto the toes of her shoes and then back onto her heels. “I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I feel like I could fly.”

Lena chuckled. “Maybe not on the ship, silly Alpha.”

Kara beamed. “I’ll, um, see you at dinner, maybe?”

“I’ll see you at dinner,” Lena replied, and Kara hurried from the room.

Lena shook her head at the Kryptonian before making her way back to the bed. She pulled the tablet out from beneath her pillow and opened up the program she had been working on before. She had barely gotten it open when a robotic voice called out again.

“Kara Zor-El requests entry,” it said.

“Allow her in,” Lena said, brows furrowed in confusion. Kara strode through the door as soon as it slid open, her steps determined. “Kara, what—“

“Would you like to court me?” Kara asked.

Lena blinked in surprise. “What?”

“I mean, um…” Kara looked down at her boots shyly. “I don’t know how to do this. On Krypton, my parents would’ve approached your parents to ask permission for me to court you. But since they’re gone. I um… I was wondering if you would do me the honor of allowing me to court you?”

“What does that mean?” Lena asked as she rubbed her suddenly sweaty palms against her pants.

“I think on Earth you would call it dating,” Kara said awkwardly. “Basically it means we would do things together and get to know one another as potential mates. Because you were right, before. I don’t really know you. I know _about_ you, but I don’t know the real you. And I really, really want to know you, Lena Luthor. And if you’d do me the honor, I’d like the chance to learn more about you, and for you to get to know me. And if in the end you decide that I’m not your choice, I won’t pressure you, I won’t hold it against you. I’m just asking for a chance to see if maybe we could be happy together.”

Lena could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She looked at Kara, her blonde hair escaping from the loose braid it was held in, blue eyes still slightly red from crying earlier. She glanced toward the tablet where it lay on her bed, then down at her feet. The Kryptonian Alpha was giving her a choice, making one more gamble, placing her chance at happiness in Lena’s hands.

She could give her a chance.

“I agree, Kara Zor-El,” she said finally, looking up. “I would be honored to court you.”

Kara’s resulting smile was as bright as any sun, and in spite of her reservations, Lena found herself smiling just as widely. Kara stepped toward Lena, arms outstretched as if she wanted to hug her, then stopped as if she thought better of it. She stood straight, still smiling.

“After dinner tonight, would you accompany me on a walk through the conservatory?” Kara asked.

Lena nodded. “I would love to.”

“Great,” Kara replied. “I’ll… I’ll see you at dinner, then.”

“I’ll see you at dinner, Kara,” Lena agreed.

“Okay,” Kara said, shuffling toward the door. She raised her hand awkwardly as she stepped out. “Bye!”

“Goodbye,” Lena said as the door slid closed.

The rooms were thickly soundproofed, but Lena was pretty certain that she heard a victoriously shouted _“Yes!”_ from the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some people might say it’s OOC for Lena to be so forgiving, and maybe that’s true, but that’s why I love AUs— I can do what I want lol.
> 
> But now we might actually get a little fluff in this story to break up the MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ANGST.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena tells Andrea and Russ that she agreed to Kara’s courtship.  
> Lena and Kara’s first date.  
> We learn a little more about Lena and Kara’s backgrounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me a while to get around to writing this one. Life got in the way. Good news: I no longer feel like I got hit by a truck, so I think the flu is GONE!

An angry Andrea Rojas was a dangerous thing. An angry _pregnant_ Andrea Rojas was terrifying.

“I can’t believe they released him!” she exclaimed for at least the fifth time as they made their way through the dinner line. She was ignoring her own plate— Russ-El was scooping things onto the tray in her hand as they went.

“I told you, Andrea, I told Astra that she could. I forgave him,” Lena said as she spooned a small scoop of Andrea’s favorite fruit onto her friend’s tray. Russ-El shot her a look of gratitude.

“ _You_ might’ve forgiven him, but _I_ have not,” Andrea huffed, turning to go to their usual table. “I’ve watched you since he attacked you, Lena. I watched you scrub your skin raw in the shower and break down sobbing. You’re not sleeping. You look over your shoulder constantly. I’m not about to forgive him for what he’s done to you.”

She launched into a tirade, slipping between English and Spanish the way she always did when she was exceptionally pissed off. Lena partly understood what Andrea was saying, with her rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, only because it consisted heavily of curse words that Andrea had taught her when they were teenagers. Apparently Russ understood as well because his eyes grew large as Andrea detailed exactly what she would do to Ty-Vel’s manhood while simultaneously slicing into a sausage on her plate.

“And we’re not even going to talk about what I’d do to Kara!” Andrea concluded.

Lena almost choked on her drink. She hadn’t told Andrea and Russ-El about Kara’s proposal to court her yet— hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise with Andrea ranting about Ty-Vel. Thankfully, Kara didn’t appear to be eating in the dining hall this evening, so the matter wasn’t pressing quite yet.

“Andrea, _i zhao_ , you must relax,” Russ-El said. “Think of the little one.”

Andrea sighed, rubbing the side of her stomach lovingly. “I’m sorry, my love. You’re right.”

Lena’s attention, however, was on what Russ had called his mate. “What does that mean?”

“Hmm?” the Kryptonian hummed questioningly.

“What you called Andrea,” Lena clarified. “Kara called me that, a couple of times.”

Andrea rolled her eyes.

“Oh,” Russ said, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “ _I zhao_ is a term of endearment. It means _my love_.”

“Presumptuous,” Andrea muttered, and Russ-El turned to her with wide eyes. “Not you, silly. I meant Kara.”

“Yes, she is that,” he agreed.

“Speaking of Kara,” Lena said, drawing in a deep breath. “ _SheaskedtocourtmeandIsaidyes_.”

Andrea and Russ both stared at her with wide eyes, until Andrea blinked slowly, processing the information.

“I’m sorry, did you say she asked to court you?” she asked slowly.

Lena nodded.

“And you said yes?”

Lena nodded again, biting her lip.

Russ-El reached up and rubbed his temples.

“That’s what I thought you said,” Andrea said, her voice still slow. “Lena, what the actual fuck?”

“I just… Look, I know it might not make sense to you, but I’ve forgiven her for bringing me here,” Lena told her. When Andrea opened her mouth to argue, Lena held up her hand to stop her. “I know, it was wrong, but she did it to save my life.”

Russ-El spoke up. “You don’t owe her a chance just because she saved your life.”

“I know that,” Lena assured him. “And I also don’t owe her a chance just because she used her special vial to save me— Yes, Alex told me about those, as well. I didn’t agree because I feel some obligation or debt to her, believe me.”

“Then why did you say yes?” Andrea asked.

“Because I wanted to!” Lena declared. “Because even after what she did to me and even though she seems hot-headed and prideful, she’s also been kind and sweet and… I don’t know, there’s just something about her…”

“You know her pheromones can affect you?” Andrea pointed out. “Because she used her DNA to modify yours, her pheromones are especially powerful toward you. That might be what’s attracting you to her.”

“The only time I’ve noticed her using her scent is when I was upset after what Ty-Vel did,” Lena said. “It’s not that. It’s not something she’s doing. It’s just… her, Andy. I mean, yes, she’s physically attractive, my god, but it’s something else. Like when she’s upset, I just want to do anything in my power to make it better. And I know from my readings and from talking to you that it’s supposed to be the other way around, that an Alpha is supposed to protect the Omega and all that, but with her, I just want to protect her and make sure she isn’t hurt.”

Andrea and Russ-El stared at her for a long moment, Andrea in apparent shock and Russ in contemplation. It was the Kryptonian who spoke first, reaching across the table to place his hand gently on Lena’s arm. It surprised Lena— the Alpha had never actually touched her before.

“Lena, your readings are correct but incomplete,” he said with a slight smile. “Because we are stronger, it is usually an Alpha’s place to physically protect our Omegas. But often, it is the Omega that protects the Alpha’s heart even more fiercely.”

Lena swallowed hard. “Yes… Yes, that’s it exactly.”

Russ leaned back and shook his head. “I won’t deny, it could complicate things. Kara will still stand trial for her actions when we return to Argo, whether you forgive her or not. But I also cannot begrudge you the chance to be happy, and if she would make you happy…”

“I thought you didn’t like Kara Zor-El?” Andrea asked suddenly, looking to her mate.

Russ-El shrugged. “I had not served under her before this mission. I had heard things— that she only became a captain because her aunt is a general, that she has favor with her cousin in court. And I remembered her from our childhood before the virus hit— she was always a bit spoiled, you understand, and proud, as you say. And when I first heard of what she had done to Lena, I assumed the worst of her. But after learning why she did what she did, and after my time serving under her and speaking to other crew members who have served with her in the past, I’m beginning to think that my impressions may have been incorrect.”

Andrea sighed, looking back at Lena with anxious eyes. “Are you sure about this?”

“Andy,” Lena said, reaching across the table for her friend’s hand. “Trust me, okay? I’m just giving her a chance, and I think that’s fair. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. But if it does… Maybe we could be happy?”

“I just want you to be as happy as I am,” Andrea told, her eyes filling with tears. Russ-El put his arm around his mate and pulled her into his side.

Lena quickly moved around the table and wrapped Andrea in a hug from the opposite direction. “I know you do. And I love you so, so much for that.”

“Hey, is everything okay?”

Lena’s head shot up at the sound of Kara’s voice. She meant to tell her that _yes, everything’s fine_ , but then her voice got caught in her throat.

Lena had never seen Kara wear anything other than her uniform and sleep clothes. But the Kara in front of her was wearing a blue and white striped off-the-shoulder blouse that showed her strong shoulders and arms off to their fullest potential. She wore sharp white trousers that hugged her figure. Her hair was pulled back, with loose tendrils framing her face, and her lips were tinted bright red.

“Uh— Hi,” Lena said, voice caught in her throat.

“Hi.” Kara blushed. Clearly Lena hadn’t been very subtle in her ogling.

“Oh, wow, now I see it,” Andrea said, her voice still raspy from her emotional outburst. She looked up at Kara and cleared her throat. “Everything’s fine, Captain. Just pregnancy hormones getting the best of me.”

“Oh, that’s good. I mean, not good, that they’re making you cry, but just…”

Andrea waved her hand dismissively. “It comes with the territory. Growing another person is definitely not for the faint of heart.”

Kara shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other, looking between Russ-El and Andrea and Lena.

“I’ve finished eating, if you’d like to go?” Lena asked. Kara nodded rapidly. Lena stood, then turned to Andrea and Russ-El. “Kara’s going to show me the conservatory.”

“That sounds lovely,” Russ-El said quickly. “Don’t you agree, Andrea?”

“Mmhmm, very romantic,” Andrea said, looking between the two of them. “I’ll wait up for you.”

“There’s no need for that,” Lena frowned.

“I know there’s no need, but I’m going to do it anyway, so don’t bother arguing,” Andrea told her, in a tone that let Lena know that that was the end of it. “Oh, and Kara?”

“Yes?” Kara replied.

“If you hurt her, I’ll cut off your dick and feed it to you,” Andrea said, sticking her fork into what was left of the sausage on her plate.

Kara’s eyes went wide as saucers and her mouth opened and closed like a fish as her hands moved instinctively to cover herself.

Lena rolled her eyes. “And on that note, let’s get out of here.”

She grabbed Kara’s arm and pulled her away from the table and out of the dining hall.

“I’m sorry about her,” Lena said as they walked through the hallway and got into a lift. “I would say she’ll get better once you get to know her, but she’s always been like that.”

“No, it’s fine,” Kara assured her. “Honestly. I’m glad you have a friend like that. Besides, if I hurt you, I deserve whatever punishment she deems appropriate.”

“God, don’t tell her that, it’ll go to her head,” she said.

Kara chuckled. “How long have you known Andrea?”

“We met when we were sixteen,” Lena replied. “We were in boarding school, both from old business families. We would watch movies on repeat and eat far too much chocolate and drink thousand dollar scotch Andrea stole from her father’s alcohol cabinet on holidays. I was a little in love with her, I think, in a comfortable sort of way. But she’s hopelessly straight, so that would’ve never worked out.”

“Oh,” Kara said, eyes widening with surprise.

Lena raised a brow. “Jealous?”

“No,” Kara said with a shrug. “Why would I be? She’s happily mated to Russ-El and you… Well, you’re here with me now.”

“Yes, I am,” Lena said with a soft smile.

They had made it to the conservatory, and Kara pressed her hand against the massive doorway to allow them into the space.

The conservatory felt like some kind of massive indoor park, yet, as Kara explained, it was central to keeping the ship running. It provided part of the air purification the ship needed, waste management through composting, and supplied foods that were vital to the occupants’ well-being but would take up excessive amounts of space to store and rot before the end of the journey. With some genetic modification and environmental tweaking, all of the plants were designed to grow and yield fruit and veggies year-round. Several stock tanks also make up part of the conservatory, providing both aquatic plants and aquatic creatures for food.

“This is incredible,” Lena said in awe as they looked around. She spotted a small playground off to one side and grinned, stepping toward the swings.

“The workers here do incredible things to keep us healthy,” Kara told her, watching from a distance as Lena gingerly sat on one of the swings.

“What color do they wear?” Lena asked. She had noticed that the color uniforms workers wore corresponded with their stations on the ship, but she still wasn’t sure what each of them represented. Kara, Astra and Russ-El wore blue, as they were officers on the ship. Alex wore black, as did the other workers in the medbay. Those in mechanical positions wore gray.

“Their uniforms are dark green,” Kara replied.

“And the tan uniforms?” Lena asked.

“They cook for us,” Kara told her.

“What about white? There aren’t as many of them.”

“They have the most important position,” Kara said grandly.

Lena’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I thought you and Astra had the most important positions?”

Kara chuckled. “We have the most authority, but we aren’t the most important. The workers in white care for the children on board. They educate them, and care for them while their parents are working. They shape the future of our species, so they are the most important.”

Lena smiled softly at that. “You’re right, they are.”

“Lena…” Kara hesitated, biting her lip. She sat on the swing beside Lena and looked at her lap.

“What is it?”

Kara shook her head. “It’s nothing. This is our first date, I should keep it casual, right?”

“You can ask me whatever you want to ask, Kara,” Lena assured her. “As long as I get the same privilege in return.”

“Oh, of course you do!” Kara said. “It’s just, well… Do you want pups? Children, I mean?”

Lena looked away and gripped the chains on the swing tightly. The lights were beginning to fade as their cycle passed into night. After a moment, she looked back toward Kara. “Would you be upset if I said that I didn’t?”

Kara’s face fell a bit, but she shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t be upset. Disappointed, perhaps, but not upset. It’s your body and your choice, after all.”

“But you want children?” Lena asked.

“I… I don’t know,” Kara said honestly. “My biology compels me to want to reproduce, to continue my species and my line. It’s stronger than what humans feel. But, honestly, I never imagined I would have a mate, let alone pups of my own.”

“Why not?”

Kara sighed and leaned her head against where her hand gripped the chain. “Well… When I was very small, my uncle’s wife had a baby. I remember holding him and thinking how wonderful he was, how tiny and precious. I remember how proud my uncle was to be a sire, how such a strong, ferocious Alpha was so tender with his son. I wanted that, someday, for myself.” Her expression changed, turning to a frown. “Then the virus came. Reality set in. I thought I would never have the opportunity to have a family. I was twelve years old and had just lost my mother and father, and I also had to accept that I would never have a family of my own.”

“I’m so sorry, Kara,” Lena said genuinely. She wanted to reach out, to comfort the Alpha, but instead she gripped the chains on the swing harder. “But when they announced the Collection you were, what? Twenty? Didn’t that give you hope that you might have all that?”

“ _Rao_ , no!” Kara exclaimed. She stood up from the swing abruptly, leaving the seat rattling behind her. “When I heard about the Collection I was so angry. I vowed that I would never take a mate who had been forced to leave her home. How could someone like that ever love a Kryptonian?”

“And yet here we are,” Lena said softly.

Kara turned to her with shame on her face. “Yes, here we are. And I still don’t know how you’re sitting here with me without hating me. I know I do. I hate myself for what I did to you, what I took from you.”

“Kara, listen to me,” Lena said, standing and taking Kara by the hand. “I’ve forgiven you. Now I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything,” Kara said softly, looking at Lena with desperate eyes.

Lena squeezed her hand. “I need you to forgive yourself.”

Kara blinked hard, and Lena could see a hint of wetness in the dim light. “I will try.”

“Good,” Lena said with a smile. She reached up and stroked Kara’s cheek. The Kryptonian’s skin was so smooth beneath her fingers, and soft. Kara opened her eyes and for a moment, Lena thought of how easy it would be to stand up on her tiptoes and press her lips against the Alpha’s…

Suddenly a bright streak of light pulled Lena’s attention from her thoughts. She backed away from Kara, looking around with wide eyes.

“ _Bioluminescence_ ,” she muttered, and Kara nodded in confirmation.

All around them, plants were glowing. The trunk of the tree closest to them lit up with green uneven vertical stripes. Small flowers lining the walk opened up and glowed white and yellow. A vine twisted up a trellis near the ponds and its berries lit up pink and purple while its leaves emitted a soft green hue. Lena knew it was science, chemistry and biology at the root of it all, but that didn’t make the effect any less magical.

Suddenly a faint buzzing sound erupted from the blowing green tree and a swarm of insects began flying out of its branches. They lit up pale blue as they flew through the air, dancing around each other as they flew on pale wings from plant to plant. One circled them and landed on Kara’s bare shoulder, looking like a very large dragonfly, and its pale glowing wings fluttered against her tan skin.

“They’re harmless unless you attack the hive,” Kara explained, reaching up to stroke the insect’s thorax which, Lena realized, was actually covered in fine violet hair. “They collect pollen on their bodies and bring it back to the hive. It makes the sap of the tree sweeter, which we collect for food. And when the insects die we grind their wings to create a medication that treats a breathing disease we sometimes contract on Argo.”

The bug fluttered its wings one last time before taking off into the air. Lena watched it go, as it circled through the air toward the plants.

“They’re like bees but also like fireflies,” Lena surmised. “I wish I had a jar.”

Kara’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why do you need a jar?”

Lena gave her a bittersweet smile. “When I was little, we spent summers in a vacation home in the mountains. There was a huge field behind the house and every evening as it got dark it would light up with thousands of fireflies. Lex and I would get an old glass jar and cut holes in the top and I would catch as many fireflies as I could and Lex would put them in the jar so I could use it as a nightlight. Then we’d sneak back outside before breakfast and release them into the grass before Mother could catch us.”

“That sounds like fun.”

Lena shook her head. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear about Lex, after what he did to your people.”

“It’s fine, Lena, really,” Kara assured her. “You can talk to me about him, if you want. It sounds like he was a good brother.”

Lena sighed. “He was. I know it’s hard to imagine, considering what he did, but when he was young he was downright gentle. He was ten years older than me, so he was fourteen when I was adopted, but he never acted like he resented suddenly having a little sister. He made me feel welcome, made me feel proud to be a Luthor. We fought, of course, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed by a cookie snuck out of the kitchen. I miss the brother that he was, you know?”

“I know what it’s like to miss your family,” Kara agreed. “Of course, I can also empathize with Lex.”

“What do you mean?” Lena asked, startled by this declaration.

“I remember watching his trial,” Kara replied. “They said he was scared of us, of Kryptonians, and how much more powerful we are than humans. He wanted to save more women from being Collected. I can understand that. It doesn’t justify the taking of life the way he did, but I can understand the fear.”

Lena scoffed. “Kara, let me tell you something about my brother. He wasn’t afraid of Kryptonians. And quite frankly, he couldn’t have cared less about the women that were taken, until someone he cared about was Collected. Then he was just angry.”

Kara’s eyes widened. “What?”

“My brother had a girlfriend named Lana— yeah, I know,” Lena told her. “They dated when they were in high school, broke up, got back together, broke up, over and over again. I always thought they would either end up marrying each other or killing each other, possibly both, that’s just how volatile their relationship was. Then Lana ended up working for Lex at LuthorCorp. Lex was talking about proposing. And then she was taken as part of the Collection.

“He never got over it. He couldn’t let it go. He became consumed with his anger at the Kryptonians. He started planning his attack on the Collection Bureau, and I went to the authorities. They weren’t able to stop him, but they were at least able to figure out that he was behind the attacks and charge him for his crimes.”

“I— Wow,” Kara breathed. “Part of me can still empathize, though. I mean, they took the woman he planned to make his mate.”

“Kara,” Lena said softly. “There’s something Lex didn’t know. Something I never told him. Lana wasn’t just Collected. She volunteered.”

“Why?” Kara exclaimed.

“She told me that my brother was obsessed with her, and it scared her,” Lena explained. “That every time they got back together she only agreed because she was intimidated by him, or afraid of what he would do. Lex… I don’t think he ever physically hurt her, but he controlled her, bullied her. He wasn’t a good man, even then, and I didn’t know anything about that side of him.”

Lena sat on the grass, looking out over the natural light show in front of them. “It confuses me, sometimes. That I can miss the brother that I had when we were young while also hating the man he became. But I do.”

Kara looked down at her and then sat on the ground by her side, seeming uncaring if her pants stained from the grass.

“My father was the best man I ever knew growing up,” she said softly. “Then he was arrested for war crimes during the war with the Daxamites. He did things that I would’ve never imagined my father would do. He brought shame to my family, so much so that after my mother died and he was imprisoned, none of my relatives wanted to adopt me. I grew up in the orphanage because of that.”

“I’m sorry…” Lena began.

“I’m not saying it to garner your pity,” Kara said, cutting her off. “I’m just saying, I understand the pain and the feeling of betrayal when someone you love does something you never imagined they could do. I understand how hard it is to love the person they once were but hate the person they became. And I know how lonely it feels, to think you’re the only one who feels those things. But you’re not alone, not anymore. I’m here, for as long as you want me to be.”

Lena stared at Kara for a long moment, watching her in soft colorful lights from the plants and bugs. Finally, she leaned against her, shoulder to shoulder.

“You’re not alone either, Kara Zor-El.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore writing this version of Andrea. She’s the BFF we all deserve.
> 
> Hopefully the part about Lex made sense.
> 
> I know I promised fluff on their first date, and I guess there was a little of that, but these two have a lot of baggage to work through, so it can’t help but make an appearance.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena talks to Kelly about controlling her Omega pheromones.  
> Gay panic and another adorable date.  
> Kara gives Lena a very special gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and gay panic guys, that’s it. For once there’s like zero angst to be found.

“Okay, so tell me again what happened?”

Lena rolled her eyes at Kelly’s teasing look. It was the same look Andrea had given her the night before when she had returned to her room from her third date with Kara. Andrea had stayed up waiting for Lena every night after her dates— “Just making sure you make it back to your room,” she teased— and grilled Lena for details. She was keeping her mind open toward Kara, she told Lena, as she helped her arrange the flowers Lena brought back from her first date. She even squealed in delight as Lena told her about their second date, watching a movie from Earth— Star Wars, appropriately enough— and how Kara had fallen asleep against Lena’s shoulder, only waking up as the Death Star exploded.

Then there was last night’s date, and that was why she was visiting Kelly.

“Well, Kara was telling me about how she met Alex,” Lena told her therapist-turned-friend. “She was telling me how some other children at the orphanage locked her in a closet, and how badly it scared her so that even now she’s claustrophobic. And I could tell that even thinking about it made her nervous. Then she started sniffing…”

That had been awkward, to put it lightly. Kara had turned into a humanoid bloodhound, sniffing the air with flared nostrils in search for an unfamiliar scent. Then she had turned toward Lena and abruptly buried her face in the bend of Lena’s neck, breathing in deep lungfuls of air.

“Apparently I started emitting calming pheromones,” Lena said, picking a miniscule speck of dirt from her skirt. “I didn’t even know I could do that.”

“It’s perfectly normal,” Kelly assured her. “All part of the omega genes that were added to your DNA. Sometimes we release them subconsciously, and other times we can control what kind of scent we emit in order to affect others.”

“Kara seemed to like my scent,” Lena muttered, blushing.

“I’ll bet,” Kelly laughed. “Since they used her genes to modify yours, your scents will call to each other. It’s how Kryptonians recognized a potential breeding partner, before the virus. If your scents attracted each other, you had a higher chance of conceiving healthy offspring.”

“I thought my scent was a homing beacon to all the unmated Alphas,” Lena grumbled.

“It is, but it smells _really good_ to Kara,” Kelly said, raising her eyebrows salaciously. Lena laughed and threw a pillow at her. “What did Kara say you smelled like?”

“Umm… she didn’t really say,” Lena blushed again, thinking back. Kara had been a little preoccupied, breathing her in like a drowning woman pulled ashore, and Lena had been preoccupied as well, trying to ignore her body’s response to the Alpha’s proximity. “We were, um, distracted…”

Kelly’s eyes widened. “Oh… _Oh_! So you were…”

“No, we didn’t do anything, but yes, I was, um, aroused.” Lena was sure she was turning a vivid shade of red. “And Kara could smell that, too, which was embarrassing as hell. But she was a complete gentlewoman about it. She was practically tripping over herself, apologizing for getting too close, you know how she is.”

“Yep, that’s our Kara,” Kelly giggled.

 _Our Kara_. The words echoed in Lena’s mind. The idea of Kara somehow being _hers_ sent warmth through her heart, and down to a point decidedly lower as well. They had only been on three “dates” in the last week and a half, though they also shared most meals together— “We shouldn’t spend every meal together, or every evening,” Kara had declared on their first date. “We both need time to ourselves, and time to spend with our other friends.”— but Lena found that her favorite evenings were the ones that she spent in Kara’s company, her favorite mornings were the ones where she awoke knowing they were planning to eat breakfast together. The Kryptonian Alpha was funny and sweet and just so damn charming that it was almost infuriating, how easy it was to fall for her.

“So, you want to learn how to control your pheromones,” Kelly said, pulling Lena from her thoughts.

Lena nodded. “Kara said you or Andrea could teach me, but right now Andrea’s hormonal on a good day, so she might not be the most in control.”

Kelly laughed. “Yes, that’s probably wise. It’s not difficult, really, just strange at first. It’s not natural to us, as humans, but it gets easier.”

“Okay then,” Lena said determinedly. “Teach me how to be an Omega.”

——

Lena smoothed down her shirt as she made her way through the halls of the ship’s quarters. She walked quickly, looking over her shoulder at every turn. She had avoided walking the halls alone since Ty-Vel’s attempted assault, trying to avoid another such incident, but when Kara hadn’t arrived to escort her to dinner or replied to her message through the ship’s comm system, she had gotten worried. Andrea and Russ-El had already gone to dinner, and she didn’t want to disturb them, so she headed out on her own. Thankfully, the passages were empty, with everyone likely already in the dining hall.

When she arrived at the door to Kara’s quarters, Lena placed her hand against the smooth metal and was surprised when the door hissed open just seconds later. There was no announcement of her arrival, which was odd. The doors on the ship were programmed to read the handprint of whomever touched them and would either announce their presence so that the room’s occupant could allow them inside or, if the room was empty, tell the person outside that the occupant was not there. They only opened automatically, as this one had done, if the person was allowed into the room or resided there permanently. It made sense, Lena thought. Kara had probably never revoked her access to the room when she was put in her own quarters.

“Kara?” Lena called out as she stepped into the living room, but it was empty. She stepped further into the room, looking around, until her foot squelched against the floor. She looked down to see droplets a brown oily liquid trailing from the entrance of the room to the bedroom door. She followed the trail and stepped into the bedroom. “Kara?”

Kara’s uniform was thrown haphazardly into the corner of the room, and Lena could see that it was covered in the brown liquid that had dripped into the floor. A faintly metallic smell made her wrinkle her nose and she looked around again. “Kara?”

Suddenly the door to the bathroom slid open with a hiss and a cloud of steam. Lena blinked as the wet, hot air hit her, then opened her eyes and…

 _Oh_.

Kara was towel-drying her hair, arms stretched over her head, and completely naked. A very small and modest part of Lena’s brain told her to look away, to cover her eyes, to at least _say something_ so Kara would realize she was there, but that part of her brain was completely ignored in favor of the part of her brain that was completely in awe at the goddess in front of her.

Kara was beautiful, there was no other way to describe it. Her skin was that wonderful honey tan all over from head to toe with no tan lines, which made Lena wonder if she was just naturally tan or if she walked around in the sunlight naked on Argo, a mental image that did nothing to help her current situation. Her shoulders were broad and led to muscular arms, Lena knew that, but seeing them bare, the muscles contracting beneath the skin as Kara moved the towel over her head was much more gratifying than seeing them beneath her uniform everyday. Her breasts were small but proportionate to her frame, tipped with rosy pink nipples that hardened when the cool air of the bedroom hit them. Below that were abs, an actual defined six-pack, and Lena had the sudden urge to run her fingernails over them, to watch them contract as Kara gasped in reaction.

And of course below that…

A sound something between a squeak and a gasp escaped Lena’s lips and Kara immediately froze. She lowered the towel slowly, revealing blue eyes made only brighter in contrast to how dark her wet hair was. Those eyes widened in shock as she took in the situation.

“Lena—“ she said.

“I’ll just, um, _I’lljustwaitoutside_ ,” Lena said, stammering at first and then speaking far too quickly. She hurried back into the living area and sat on the couch with a huff, trying to get her pounding heart under control.

Kara had caught her ogling her.

She had been ogling Kara.

And she had seen…

She could practically feel the blood pooling in her cheeks yet again in a mixture of embarrassment and arousal. And now that her attention had been drawn to it, she could smell the scent coming off her in waves, spicy and floral, so similar to Kara’s but subtly different. She looked toward the ceiling, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath the way Kelly had taught her, focusing on controlling her errant thoughts and projecting waves of calm until the scent changed, becoming cleaner, with less spice, soothing.

When Kara finally stepped into the room, she froze, nostrils flaring to take in the new scent. Lena could see the set of her shoulders relax, the tension of her brow relax slightly, and felt a rush of pride that she could cause such a change in the Kryptonian.

“So, um, hi,” Kara said, blushing.

“Hi, yourself,” Lena replied, then silently cursed because her voice came out huskier than she intended. She had gotten her scent under control, but the rest of her body was a different matter.

“I’m sorry I missed taking you to dinner,” Kara apologized. “There was a clog in one of the engine rooms, and as soon as I went down to check on the progress the pressure blew and oil went everywhere. I had to shower. I should’ve sent word.”

“No, it’s fine,” Lena said. “I just came to check to make sure you were alright and, well, you were.”

“Yeah…” Kara’s voice trailed off, and Lena could practically see the cogs in her mind turning, debating whether or not she should address the elephant in the room.

“We should get going,” Lena said, standing abruptly. “Maybe if we hurry there will be a little something left to eat before we go do whatever you have planned.”

“Yeah, um, yeah, sounds good,” Kara replied. Her eyes widened as she looked down at Lena. “You look amazing, by the way.”

Lena blushed again— she was starting to get concerned that her face might turn permanently pink around Kara. She had chosen to take a page out of Kara’s book and wore a red off-shoulder sweater that showed off her décolletage to its fullest extent, and skinny jeans— or, at least, something similar in fit and style to jeans but made of an even softer material that Lena adored.

“Thank you,” she said. “You do, too. I like your clothes on— I mean, I like the clothes you have on! On you, they look good on you, not, I mean… Shit.”

Kara burst into loud guffaws as Lena tripped over her words, and under any other circumstances the joyous sound would’ve made Lena laugh along but she was currently too embarrassed. Kara did look good, with her still-damp hair piled in a messy bun on top of her head, dressed in her own tight jeans and a crisp white button up, but Lena didn’t mean to say it like _that_.

“Oh _Rao_ , you’re so cute,” Kara finally said as she got her laughter under control.

“‘M not cute,” Lena muttered.

“Yes, you are,” Kara said, poking her playfully in the side. “I guess I don’t need to ask if you find me attractive.”

“Your looks are definitely a mark in your favor,” Lena admitted dryly. “Can we please go to dinner now and forget all about me sticking my foot in my mouth?”

Kara tilted her head in that way she did when Lena said something that confused her. “Foot in your mouth? Is that even physically possible?”

“It’s a figure of speech, Kara. Food. Now.”

“Right, yes, food, definitely! Let’s go!”

——

“Okay, so where are we going?”

Kara rolled her eyes at Lena’s question. They had gulped down their food quickly, with little talking between them, as Andrea eyed them suspiciously from across the room— Lena was _not_ looking forward to that interrogation when she returned to her room later that night. All throughout dinner Lena had asked her the same question over and over again, but she refused to answer.

“We’re almost there, be patient,” Kara told her as she led her down a hallway Lena hadn’t been down before. Finally she opened a door and led Lena into a room.

Lena looked around in confusion. The room’s ceiling was a dark dome, and below it were benches set in a circle, and what appeared to be prayer rugs scattered near the center of the room.

“Kara, are we in a church?” she asked.

“Sort of,” Kara said, leading Lena forward. In the center of the room was a box with what looked like a control panel on the side. “On Krypton, we worshiped our sun, Rao. Rao was the spark that gave us life, so it became our God, the center of our worship. Most of our religious practice involved regular meditation and prayers to Rao. This is a room devoted to that practice, to solace and meditation and finding peace within yourself.”

“Kara, I’m an atheist. Should I even be in here?” Lena asked. Her own experiences with religion, mostly forced attendance at holiday Mass with the Luthors, weren’t particularly fond.

“It doesn’t matter if you believe or not. You can still come here for quiet contemplation or meditation. A lot of humans come here for their own prayers to whatever gods they worship, and that’s okay with us,” Kara explained as she fiddled with the control panel. “Besides, that’s not actually why I brought you here.”

“Then why did you—“ Lena’s words were cut off as Kara pressed one more button on the panel and the device suddenly lit up with light. It projected onto the domed ceiling, showing sparkling white lights. Lena looked around in awe. “It’s a planetarium.”

Kara nodded. “We worship the sun, and I can program this to show you Rao and His light, if you want. I can show you the night sky over Krypton, and tell you about the different planets and the star stories I grew up hearing.”

“That sounds lovely,” Lena said with a soft smile. Kara bounced excitedly and reached for her hand.

They laid on their backs on the soft rugs in the center of the room, looking up at the projected sky above them, and Kara began. Lena lost track of time as she told her fantastical stories, a mixture of myth and reality. The history of Krypton was seeded with lore that involved their gods and other mythological figures.

In spite of herself, after a long while, Lena found herself yawning. The room was warm, and Kara’s side pressed against her own was even warmer.

“I’ve kept you out too late,” Kara said, chastising herself.

“No, it’s alright,” Lena told her. “I’ve just laid still for too long, that’s all. Besides, you’re the one who has to get up and be the ship’s captain tomorrow.”

“Eh, it’s worth being a bit tired tomorrow to spend time with you tonight,” Kara said, sliding her hand into Lena’s. “Is this alright?”

“Yes,” Lena replied honestly. “Can I ask you something? Where did you learn all of those stories?”

“The answer might surprise you,” Kara said with a bittersweet chuckle. “Aunt Astra taught me most of them.”

Kara was correct, Lena was surprised. “I find that hard to imagine.”

“She wasn’t always like she is now,” Kara said sadly. “She was always a warrior, but before the virus struck she would always make sure to come home. She had a mate, and a daughter that was younger than me. She would spend most of her time home with them, but she always made time to come see our family and spend time with me. We would go up on the roof of my family’s house and she would tell me about the planets she had visited, and then she would tell me the star stories. I remember telling her once that I wanted to explore space like her, and she just laughed and told me that my destiny lay on Krypton, that I would have a much more important role on our home planet.” Kara’s face twisted bitterly. “I suppose I got my wish, but I often wish that I hadn’t.”

“I wish she wasn’t so hard on you,” Lena admitted.

“She’s only like that because she wants me to be strong,” Kara shrugged. “My Aunt has seen a lot of things, lived through tragedies and pain that would’ve ruined a lesser person. I hate how it has hardened her, but I can also understand it.”

“It hasn’t hardened you,” Lena said softly.

“No, I guess not, and I think that worries her,” Kara replied. “She doesn’t think I’m strong enough to survive the way Krypton— well, Argo— is now.”

“I think you’re strong enough,” Lena told her honestly.

Kara sat up from the rug and flexed her arms. “Oh, you think I’m strong enough, huh?”

Lena rolled with laughter, reaching up to shove Kara’s shoulder with one hand. “You goof! That’s not what I meant.”

“I know, and I’m flattered that you think so much of me,” Kara said seriously.

“I do,” Lena murmured, looking up at Kara. “I do think so much of you. It scares me, sometimes, how much and how fast.”

Kara looked down at Lena with piercing eyes, illuminated from behind by the artificial starlight. She reached down and trailed her fingertips lightly down Lena’s cheek, down the side of her neck, over her sharp clavicles.

“Sit up,” she said abruptly. “I have something for you.”

“What?” Lena asked breathlessly, but she followed the instruction.

Kara reached into her pocket and pulled out a long silver chain— a necklace, Lena realized. A clear blue stone dangled from the end of it, and Kara cupped it in her other palm.

“This belonged to my mother,” she said softly. “My father gave it to her, when they entered into a courtship. I have a few things that belonged to them in my home on Argo, but this is the only thing I keep with me at all times, even when I’m on missions off planet.” She looked up at Lena. “I’d like you to have it.”

“I— Kara, you shouldn’t give me something that means so much to you,” Lena said, but Kara was already unfastening the clasp.

“It does mean a lot to me,” Kara said honestly. “But you mean a lot to me too, Lena.”

She reached around Lena’s neck and fastened the necklace, then carefully lifted Lena’s hair free from the chain. The blue stone sat in the center of Lena’s chest, and she reached for it, studying the pale stone. It was the exact shade of Kara’s eyes.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, looking up. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for giving me a chance, Lena,” Kara replied.

Lena thought, for a long moment, that Kara might kiss her. Her eyes darted from holding Lena’s gaze, down to the necklace, and then to Lena’s lips. And, surprisingly, Lena didn’t think she would object to such an action.

But instead Kara stood up quickly, reaching for the control panel to turn off the projector. The projected solar system faded away, replaced by the dim lights that illuminated the ship’s common areas at night.

Kara reached down to help Lena stand up. “May I escort you back to you your room, Miss Luthor?”

Lena grinned as she took Kara’s hand and was pulled to her feet. “Of course, Lady Zor-El, thank you.”

Kara didn’t release her hand as they walked from the room, or as they made their way silently through the dim corridors. She only let go when they came to stand outside the door to Lena’s quarters.

“Goodnight, Lena,” Kara said softly, stepping away.

“Goodnight, Kara,” Lena replied. She pressed her hand to the door of her room and stepped inside.

The room wasn’t empty. Stretched out on the bed, still in her clothes from the day, Andrea clutched a pillow to her front and snored slightly. Lena chuckled at the sight and pressed the communication panel on the wall.

“Is everything alright, Lena?”

“Yes, Russ-El, everything’s fine,” Lena replied. “But you may want to come get your sleeping mate out of my bed.”

Lena could hear Russ’s heavy sigh through the speaker. “I can do that.”

Lena laughed softly as the device switched off and a moment later she opened the door for Russ-El. He shook his head at the sight of his mate, and Lena pried the pillow out of her sleeping arms as Russ picked her up in a bridal carry without even waking her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your regularly scheduled angst will return in the next chapter. But I’m not sure when that’ll be posted because I am actually going to go out and be social tomorrow (SHOCKING!) and then it’s back to work on Monday (ugh). So my update schedule will probably not be daily.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another date, a first kiss, and the final revelation of Kara Zor-El.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, babes, I feel like we all need this chapter.  
> I did not anticipate it being 5000 words, but a lot happens.  
> We start with sweet sweet chocolate-y fluffy goodness (literally) take a detour into angst and end with softness, so I think overall it’s a good balance.

“Are you seriously not going to tell me what we’re doing?”

Lena grinned broadly as she led a blindfolded Kara through the halls of the ship.

“You’ve been surprising me with dates for two weeks now,” she told her as she pushed at Kara’s shoulders to make her turn a corner. “Now it’s my turn.”

Kara grumbled something in Kryptonese that Lena was fairly certain translated into a minor curse, but she ignored her. She gave Kara a final shove toward their destination and pulled the blindfold off with a flourish.

“Tada!”

Kara blinked slowly, taking in her surroundings, and then her brow crinkled in confusion. “Lena, why are we in the kitchen? Oh! Oooo, are we gonna eat something?”

“Well, hopefully,” Lena said, stepping toward a counter where a variety of ingredients were already portioned out for her. “We’re going to cook something. And if it turns out well, I suppose we’ll be eating it.”

“You know how to cook?” Kara asked, eyes wide.

“Well enough to get by,” Lena told her, moving aside some ingredients. “I’m pretty good at baking. I had a chemistry professor in college who would invite her students to her home for baking experiments every weekend. It’s a very precise form of cooking, so it appealed to our scientific natures. I know how much you like food, so I thought we could try this. Kelly introduced me to the ship’s cooks and a woman named Brigid showed me how to use the equipment. It’s not a traditional date but, I mean… Is this okay?”

Kara beamed at her. “It’s more than okay, Lena. I love spending time with you and if there’s _food_ involved? Win-win.”

Lena chuckled. “Don’t get too excited. It’s much easier with two sets of hands, so I’m putting you to work Captain, and if you don’t follow my directions we might screw this up and end up with something inedible. Think you can handle it?”

“Yes ma’am,” Kara said with a wide grin. “What are we making?”

Lena scooted a bowl of dark chocolate across the counter with a flourish. “Chocolate soufflé with strawberry sauce.”

“I don’t know what a soufflé is, but I love chocolate, so that sounds amazing,” Kara said with determination. “Let’s do it.”

Kara, as it turns out, was completely hopeless in the kitchen. Lena tried having her help her at first, but soon found that Kara was like a bull in a china shop, dumping too much of an ingredient here, cracking eggs so hard that shell got into the mix, stirring with so much force that she sloshed batter onto the counter. Finally Lena relegated her to the simplest task she could think of— buttering the sides of the ramekins— and then assigned her to clean-up duty to keep her from sneaking bites of the melted chocolate they needed for the batter.

“You’re a mess,” she said as she stood from placing the last ramekin into the oven. The front of Kara’s sweater was smeared with flour— she had even managed to get some in the ends of her hair— and her lips were coated with chocolate residue.

“But it’s so good!” Kara exclaimed as Lena picked up the dirty bowl.

“I know,” Lena replied. “But since you snuck so much chocolate during the cooking process, I don’t think you deserve to get the best part.”

Kara’s eyes widened. “What’s the best part?”

Lena grinned. “Licking the bowl. I think I should get that all to myself since you’ve already eaten so much batter.”

She pulled the bowl closer to her and ran her finger through the chocolate batter until she had collected a large dollop, then popped it into her mouth and sucked it clean with a pleased hum.

Kara made a sound that was something like “Meep!”

Lena looked up from the bowl and saw Kara staring at her with a look that could only be described as ravenous— and not for food. Then she realized exactly what she must look like, sucking batter from her fingers, and blushed at the thought. She hadn’t meant to be provocative, but she couldn’t seem to help herself around Kara.

“Here, you can have the rest,” she said quickly, scooting the bowl over to Kara and retreating to the stove.

“Are you sure?” Kara asked.

“Mmhmm, it’s fine. I need to start the strawberry sauce, anyway.”

An hour later, they sat side by side at the counter, six perfect soufflés between them. Lena spooned the strawberry sauce onto the top of two of them and pushed one in front of Kara.

“Okay, tell me what you think,” she said as Kara took her spoon and dove in for the first bite.

Kara closed her lips over the bite and immediately closed her eyes as she began to chew. A smile spread across her face and then she moaned in a way that was not entirely appropriate for eating.

“Oh _Rao_ ,” she said as she swallowed. “Oh _Rao_ , Lena, that’s amazing. Like, if I didn’t already want you as my mate, that would totally seal the deal. I want these every day for the rest of my life.”

Lena chuckled. Two weeks ago Kara’s words might’ve made her uncomfortable but now… Now they made her feel something else entirely.

“Well, there’s an Earth saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I suppose the same goes for Kryptonian Alphas, regardless of gender.”

“Mmm, why aren’t you eating yours yet? Eat!” Kara ordered between mouthfuls.

“Alright, alright,” Lena said, taking her own bite. “Mmm, you’re right, these are amazing.”

They ate in silence for several long minutes, neither of them wanting to stop eating long enough to make conversation. Over the past few weeks they had talked about numerous things— their childhoods, their favorite things, different places they had visited. They had shared information about Earth and Krypton. They discussed science at length. Kara had even began reading books from Earth that Lena suggested so they could discuss literature. Their talks were great, but their silences weren’t awkward. Lena found great comfort just sharing space with Kara, soaking in her warmth even at a distance.

When she finished her soufflé she looked up and found Kara watching her with that same hungry expression as before, but it was gentler this time, fonder. Lena was tempted to look away, but instead she held her gaze. Kara glanced down, away from the eye contact, but her eyes landed on Lena’s lips.

“You’ve got a little something here,” she said, reaching up and stroking Lena’s bottom lip with the pad of her thumb. Lena could feel a small dollop of chocolate smear instead of being wiped away, and Kara frowned.

“You could kiss me, you know,” Lena said before she could second guess herself.

Kara’s eyes darted up to hers and she swallowed deeply. “What?”

“I know you want to,” Lena said. “You’ve wanted to for a while, haven’t you?”

Kara blushed. “Yes.”

“Then why don’t you?” she asked.

“I don’t want to touch you without your permission,” Kara said softly, eyes darting back and forth between Lena’s eyes and her lips.

“Well, I’m giving you permission,” Lena told her. “You can kiss me now, or whenever you’d like. Just… Not more, okay?”

“Okay,” Kara breathed. She stared at Lena’s lips, but still didn’t move to kiss her. “I’m afraid I won’t be any good at it. I’ve never, I mean…”

“You’ve never kissed anyone?” Lena asked, eyes wide. “Not at all?”

“No,” Kara blushed even deeper. “Some Alphas would experiment, when we were younger, but it never felt right to me so I didn’t kiss any of them. When I came of age Astra offered to take me to a brothel on another planet where I could do a lot more than kiss, but I refused.”

“So you’re a virgin?” Lena wasn’t sure why she was surprised, considering who Kara was and the circumstances she grew up under, but some part of her was still shocked that anyone who looked like Kara Zor-el was a virgin.

“Yes,” Kara said shyly. “Is that okay?”

“Of course it is,” Lena said with authority. “As long you’re okay with the fact that I’m not.”

“That’s fine,” Kara said quickly. “I mean… My Alpha side kind of wants to hunt down anyone you’ve been with and kick them, but the rational side of me understands.”

Lena chuckled at the honest response, looking down at the empty ramekins between them. She looked back up coyly. “So… are you going to kiss me, Kara Zor-El?”

“I’d really like to,” Kara said, leaning in closer. “If you want to.”

“Yes, please,” Lena sighed, closing the last bit of space between them.

Kara’s lips were as soft as she had always imagined, if a bit sticky from the dessert. Their first kiss was gentle, chaste, just lips against lips, but it sent a bubble of warmth straight to Lena’s chest.

Kara pulled back a moment later.

“Wow…” she breathed. “Was that okay?”

“That was perfect,” Lena replied honestly. “Would you like to do it again?”

“Yes,” Kara supplied quickly, then blushed at her own eagerness. “I know there’s more, I’ve seen it, but…”

“I can teach you,” Lena said, a thrill going down her spine at the idea. “If that’s what you want…”

“Yeah,” Kara breathed before her lips were on Lena’s again.

Kara Zor-El was certainly a fast learner. She mirrored Lena’s actions with each stroke of their lips together, and when Lena pressed her tongue to the seam of the Alpha’s lips she parted them with a small gasp. Lena reached up and cupped Kara’s cheek as she stroked into her mouth, teasing her tongue to play. Kara tasted like their dessert, like rich chocolate and sweet berries and still something undeniably Kara.

Lena breathed deeply through her nose as Kara’s tongue dipped into her mouth, copying her own movements, and the spicy-sweet smell of Kara’s pheromones filled her senses. A moan escaped her throat as the scent and the sensations sent arousal pooling in her gut.

Finally, Kara pulled back panting. She pressed her forehead against Lena’s and made a low rumbling sound in her throat that sounded almost like a purr.

“You’re very good at that,” she said with a grin.

“And you’re a fast learner,” Lena told her.

Kara giggled and pressed another quick kiss to Lena’s lips, then one to her cheek, and finally one on the tip of her nose, still giggling.

“What’s got you so cheerful?” Lena teased.

“I like kissing you,” she said dreamily.

Lena chuckled. “Well, I like kissing you, too. So consider this permission that you can kiss me whenever you like.”

“Okay,” Kara said gleefully. “But if you ever don’t want me to for any reason, you can just tell me no, you know that, right?”

“I do know that,” Lena replied. “You know, you’re nothing like I thought you would be when I first came aboard this ship.”

“I was… I was trying to be something I’m not,” Kara admitted. “I thought I could win you over by being a strong, dominant Alpha. I never imagined you would actually like just _me_.”

“Well, I do like just you,” Lena told her, giving her one quick kiss and then one more not-so-quick kiss. When she finally pulled back, she looked down at the remaining soufflés between them. “Alright, four left. I’m sure you could probably eat them all by yourself with that stomach of steel, but how about we be nice and share them this time? Two to Alex and Kelly and two to Russ and Andrea?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Kara agreed. They each grabbed a small soufflé in each hand and stood from the table. “Oh, and Lena?”

“Yeah?”

Kara smiled widely. “Thank you for the date. I had a really good time.”

Lena couldn’t help but smile in return. “Me, too.”

——

“Okay, so you are officially cancer free and now—“ Alex pressed a needle into the bend of Lena’s arms and pressed a button, and suddenly a mixture of blood a metallic-looking liquid filled the attached vial— “you’re also nanite free.”

Alex pulled the vial away and rubbed a small dab of what Lena called liquid bandaid over the small opening in the skin.

“You’re absolutely positive?” Lena asked, looking down at her arm.

“You can look at the scans for yourself,” Alex said, flipping on a nearby screen that showed multiple images of Lena’s body beneath the surface, illuminating blood vessels, bones, and other tissues. Alex showed her before and after scans that clearly showed where the tumors had been and now there was nothing, not even scar tissue.

“The nanites are really that efficient?” Lena murmured in awe.

“They really are,” Alex said. “They ate away at any cancerous tumors in your body. And because of the genetic modification process, it couldn’t spread anywhere else and you’ll never have cancer ever again.”

Lena felt tears forming in the edges of her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Alex said, sitting on the bed beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders.

“These aren’t sad tears,” Lena told he as she wiped her cheeks. “I just… I barely remember my biological mother, but I do remember how the cancer destroyed her body and spirit. When they told me I also carried the risk, it terrified me, honestly. But it was like a ticking time bomb that I couldn’t stop. It was easier to ignore. I think—“ Her breath caught in her throat. “I think I knew, before I was collected. Some part of me recognized the symptoms, but I knew from my own research that there was nothing to be done except delay the inevitable. I had started preparing for my absence— possibly my permanent absence— from LuthorCorp.”

“You knew?” Alex exclaimed.

“Part of me did, and part of me was in denial,” Lena shrugged. “I told myself that I was just planning for all possible outcomes. Hell, even if it wasn’t cancer that took my life, none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.”

“That’s… I mean, I guess that’s true,” Alex said, shuffling her feet.

“Hey,” Lena said suddenly. “Please don’t tell Kara. She… I don’t think she would understand.”

“I won’t,” Alex replied. “My lips are sealed.”

Lena chuckled. “Well, at least one of you understands English idioms.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “I’ve had years more practice. She’ll get them eventually. Kara’s smarter than she lets on, you know.”

“I know,” Lena said with a sigh.

“How’s that going, by the way?” Alex asked, standing and clearing away her equipment.

Lena raised a brow. “Doesn’t she tell you?”

“Oh, she tells me alright,” Alex said, eyes widening. “Every time we talk it’s _Lena’s so beautiful_ this and _Lena’s so smart_ that and _Lena’s such a good kisser_... Bleh! She honestly won’t shut up about you.”

“So what else do you need to know?” Lena asked with a small smirk.

Alex leveled her with a serious look. “I need to know that you’re not going to get her hopes up only to break her heart.”

Lena’s eyes widened at the sudden shift in the Kryptonian medical officer. “Alex…”

“No, Lena, listen. It’s not that I don’t trust you or that I don’t like you or anything like that,” Alex said quickly. “I want Kara to be happy. And goodness knows after everything she’s done, I’m both shocked and pleasantly surprised that you two seem so happy together. But I’ve known her for eighteen years. I met her at the lowest point of both of our lives, and I wouldn’t have survived without her. I wouldn’t be where I am not if not for her. I love her. She’s my sister, even if not by blood. I’ve seen her hurt so many times and it kills me like a wound to my own soul. So I need to know what your intentions are with my sister.”

Lena stared at Alex for a moment before she muttered. “Wow. A Kryptonian shovel talk.”

“A what?” Alex said, tilting her head in confusion the same way Kara did. It was quite endearing.

“Nothing,” Lena replied. “Look, Alex. We’re still learning about each other, doing things to see if we fit together. I can’t say with certainty that things will work out, just because it’s still early. But I can say that I have no intention of hurting Kara. I don’t like seeing her hurt. Hell, even when I’m angry with her I can’t stay mad for long because she’s like a freaking puppy.”

Alex snorted. “Do not tell her that. I don’t think her Alpha would be very happy with the comparison, however accurate.”

“You get my point though?” Lena asked.

Alex nodded. “Yeah, I do. And I’m happy to hear it. For what it’s worth, I really do hope you guys work it out.”

Lena nodded. Then she grinned. “Well, at least I don’t have a dick for you to threaten to cut off.”

“Wait, what?” Alex exclaimed, one hand moving slightly protectively toward her groin.

“Andrea gave Kara a little talk similar to the one you just gave me,” Lena laughed. “Except it was much shorter and to the point. And she threatened to cut Kara’s dick off if she hurt me.”

Alex shook her head. “Russ-El has his hands full with that one.”

“I think he enjoys it,” Lena said speculatively.

“Yeah, I think so too,” Alex said. “Alright, I’ve got everything put away. How about we head to dinner?”

“Sounds good, doc,” Lena agreed.

Lena practically skipped to the dining hall. Though she had believed Alex weeks before when she said the nanites would cure her cancer, there was still a part of her that worried. She had carried the weight of her genetic predisposition for years, carried that possibility over her head. For it to be gone for good— she understood what Kara meant when she said she felt like she could fly.

When she saw Kara in the dining hall, she almost did just that. She ran toward the Alpha and leapt toward her. Thankfully, Kara’s reflexes were sharp and she caught Lena easily, pulling her into a tight hug.

“The cancer’s gone,” Lena exclaimed happily into her blonde curls. Kara sat her down and looked her over from top to bottom, as if she could see the cancer if she tried.

“Totally gone?” Kara asked, looking from Lena to where Alex stood behind her.

“Just checked the final scans and removed the nanites,” Alex confirmed. “Totally gone.”

“Oh, thank Rao,” Kara said, pulling Lena into a tight hug. “It worked. It really worked.”

“You saved me,” Lena said, looking up at her.

Their celebration was interrupted by a loud crash. Kara turned quickly, pushing Lena behind her slightly, and Alex stepped in front of her defensively as well, but Lena could still see around them.

Ty-Vel stood on the opposite side of the room above an overturned table. The food from his plate littered the floor— only his plate, as any friends he had once had quickly ended their association with him after he assaulted Lena. A bitter scent hit Lena’s nose as angry, dominant pheromones rolled off him in waves. Everyone near him scattered as he picked up a chair and threw it aside in anger.

“What is the meaning of this, Ty-Vel?” Kara demanded.

“You dare hold her?” Ty-Vel growled. “You dare touch her as if you deserve her, Kara Zor-El?”

“That’s none of your business, Ty-Vel!” Lena shouted, incensed.

“Like hell it isn’t!” the angry Alpha roared. “Has she not hurt you as well, Lena? And yet you enter into a courtship with her while you cannot stand the sight of me.”

“Kara’s actions saved my life,” Lena said. “You, on the other hand, attacked me out of selfish lust. I forgave you because you were in rut. Don’t make me regret my decision.”

“You could’ve chosen any Alpha,” Ty-Vel ranted, stalking closer. “Even knowing your brother’s crimes, even with Kara Zor-El’s genetic vial already imprinted on your DNA, any Alpha would’ve set that aside for a chance to mate such a strong, beautiful Omega. And yet you choose the daughter of a traitor.”

“Step back, Ty-Vel,” Alex said, looking between the Alpha and her sister. “You’re not under the influence of your rut. You should know better than this.”

“I made my choice, Ty-Vel,” Lena said softly.

“And it’s the wrong one!” Ty-Vel roared. He charged forward, only to be met by a strong punch to the jaw from Kara’s fist. Alex stood protectively in front of Lena as Kara moved toward Ty-Vel.

“Ty-Vel, you will be placed in a holding cell until we reach Argo, where you will be tried for your previous assault on Lena Luthor and now for an assault on your captain,” Kara growled, her tone low and authoritative. Dominant pheromones rolled off her in waves, their spicy tones overpowering the bitter scent that Ty-Vel produced.

“You are not my captain,” Ty-Vel said, spitting blood toward Kara’s feet. “You are not my captain, and thank Rao you are not my queen. I will not submit to you, Kara Zor-El, daughter of the man who killed our planet. What can you offer a mate but shame? You do not deserve a mate. I issue an official challenge for the right to mate Lena Luthor.”

“We do not entertain the barbaric practice of mating challenges any more, Ty-Vel,” Alex said calmly. Lena could smell a warm, sweet scent coming from her— calming pheromones. “It is the human’s choice whom she wants to court and take as a mate, and you will accept that.”

“I will not—“ Ty-Vel’s words were cut off by two solid punches from Kara’s fists, leaving his face a bloody mess yet again. His body collapsed to the floor in a heap, but his chest still rose and fell.

“Take him to a holding cell,” Kara ordered. “And clean this up.”

Two men stepped forward to grab Ty-Vel’s limp body and carry him from the dining hall. Others began moving to clean up the mess he had made, sweeping up spilled food and setting table and chairs upright.

But Lena’s attention was on Kara. She was still shaking with rage and the spicy scent of her dominant pheromones filled the air, causing the other Alphas to shrink back in submission. Even Alex kept her eyes lowered in deference.

Suddenly Kara turned on her heel and hurried from the dining hall, her pace brisk and her steps long. Lena moved quickly as well, fighting to keep up with her, but once they were in the empty hallways Kara began to run. Lena followed her, trailing her scent even after she had lost sight of her, even as the smell changed from spice to something bitter.

She found Kara in the meditation room, bathed in red light from the projector. The Kryptonian sat perched on her knees, arms crossed over her chest, and she chanted in Kryptonese as tears ran down her cheeks. Lena didn’t want to disturb her, but she wanted her to know that she was there, so she sat beside Kara, pressing her hip against the Alpha’s, and focused on emitting a sweet, calming scent.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Kara said finally, after several minutes of meditation followed by even more minutes of silence.

“I want to be here,” Lena said, leaning further into Kara’s side. “I want to be with you.”

“You shouldn’t,” Kara said bitterly. “You heard Ty-Vel. No Omega would want me, the disgraced daughter of a murderer.”

Lena frowned. “What did he mean by that, Kara?”

Kara hung her head, but remained silent. Lena scooted across the floor until she was sitting knee to knee, face to face with the Kryptonian.

“You can tell me, Kara,” she said. “You need to tell me.”

Still Kara remained silent. Lena sighed. “Okay then. Will you tell me why you don’t want to tell me? Or why you haven’t told me already?”

“Shame,” Kara said simply. She looked up with tearful eyes and damp cheeks. “There is an old belief on Krypton that when one person commits a horrible act, the shame is passed on through generations of their family. The worse the transgression, the more shame, the longer it continues through the family. And my father committed the worst transgression one can commit.”

“Is this about your father’s war crimes?” Lena asked. “Did he do something against the Daxamites?”

“No,” Kara said bitterly, shaking her head. “No my father…”

She sighed, then took a deep breath. “My father was the eldest son and heir of King Seyg-El of Krypton. He was a prince and a soldier, but he was at heart a scientist. He taught me to love our people, and how to fight for them, but my favorite memories are of time we spent in his lab together. Even though I was a child he would speak to me as if I were an adult, asking my opinion on things, explaining what he was doing in as simplistic terms as he could. He loved me, and he loved his people.

“The war on Daxam lasted ten years and claimed many lives, both through battle and also civilians lost due to disease and restricted rations. My father sought to end the war. So he developed a biological weapon— a virus. He took the virus and his proposal to the Council for permission to use it on the Daxamites, but they refused. They believed we could win the war if we just continued to be patient, that even though we would continue to lose people we would outlast the Daxamites. They told him that using his virus would be too drastic, that it would wipe out an entire civilization— and they were right.”

“So your father invented the virus that…” Lena’s voice trailed off and Kara nodded. “Oh God. But how did it—?”

“My father couldn’t stand to lose any more of our people,” Kara said. “So he defied Council orders. He and a crew of his most trusted soldiers took a ship to Daxam to unleash the virus, but they were ambushed before they had the chance. The Daxamites found the virus on board and discovered what it would do. That was when they devised their plan— I believe humans would call it a Trojan Horse. They sent my father and the survivors of his crew back home with a supply of ore, but they didn’t realize that their ship had been laced with the virus. Even the soldiers had been infected, but they were Alphas so they didn’t realize it until they had returned to Krypton and began spreading the virus to Omegas.”

Kara wiped at her eyes. “The disease my father created to save his people ended up nearly destroying us. He was arrested shortly before my mother died. He was tried by the Council, and since he was a royal they could not sentence him to death so they stripped him of his titles and exiled him to a prison planet. He ended up taking his own life there, unable to bear the shame of what he had done.”

“And you ended up an orphan,” Lena surmised.

Kara nodded. “With my father’s titles stripped, I was also left with nothing. My uncle Jor-El became king when my grandfather died, and my cousin Kal-El inherited the throne a few years ago with my uncle died. None of my relatives wanted a child who carried the shame of Zor-El, so I was sent to the orphanage. When I came of age I became a soldier, and my aunt took me under her wing. When my cousin took the throne, he restored my status as a royal, though not my inheritance— that would’ve caused a riot. He gave me a place at court, though, and his kinship. He does not believe in the old superstitions, Kal-El. He’s a good man.”

“You’re a good woman,” Lena told her.

Kara shook her head. “I try to be. I have tried to be a good Alpha. It’s why I’ve learned so much restraint. I cannot lose control of myself. I tried to be a good soldier. I try to be a good captain. But there are still those like Ty-Vel who will only see the Zor-El name.”

“Kara, listen to me,” Lena said, taking Kara’s hands in hers. “Ty-Vel is a jealous bastard and that’s all. His words came from jealousy that I would choose you over him, as if it is any contest. I don’t believe the way you say some Kryptonians believe. You were an innocent child when your father did what he did, and you were just as much a victim of his actions as anyone else on Krypton. His shame and his mistakes are not yours. I of all people know that. My father was not a good man, either. He was a lying scoundrel who sucked money from his employees so he could build his own fortune. He enjoyed putting small businesses out so he could make a bigger profit. He cheated on his wife multiple times, was a mean drunk to his family. And let’s not even get started on my brother. But do you think that I’m a bad person because of them?”

“No,” Kara said honestly. “I think you’re wonderful, Lena Luthor.”

Lena smiled softly. “I think you’re pretty wonderful yourself, Kara Zor-El. And it seems to me that there are many other people in your life who think you’re wonderful as well.”

Kara looked down at where their hands were joined, and Lena followed her gaze. Bathed in the reddish-light of the Kryptonian sun, their skin almost appeared to glow from the inside out.

“Lena?” Kara said softly. Lena looked up and met her gaze, amazed at how blue her eyes looked even under the red sun. “I’d really like to kiss you right now.”

Lena smiled widely and leaned in, cupping Kara’s cheek with her hand. “I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah Ty-Vel was an ass even without crazy hormones.
> 
> I’ve been conversing with some folks in comments for a few chapters now, people wondering why Kara acts like she doesn’t deserve to be loved. Well, now you know what card I was keeping in my pocket.
> 
> Now all the cards I’m holding are Lena’s. We’re not quite over all the humps and bumps for these two before they’re allowed to be happy. Next chapter you’ll find out a little about what Lena’s been doing in her spare time (other than making out with Kara lol)
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara goes into rut.  
> Lena gets to know General Astra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt so much longer typing it, not gonna lie. There’s so much here. But I think you’re gonna love it, I loved writing it because I honestly love Astra (both canon and my version here).

Kissing Kara Zor-El was an experience. Lena had never experimented with drugs, unlike some of her classmates in boarding school and college, but she imagined addiction felt something like this. Between the heady pheromones twisting in the air around them whenever their lips touched, to the way Kara’s lips and tongue moved expertly against her own— the Alpha was definitely a quick study— Lena couldn’t get enough. And when she told Kara that she was also allowed to touch her…

Well, they could hardly keep their hands off one another. Andrea and Kelly compared them to a couple of teenagers, and Lena couldn’t say they were wrong. Kara had never gotten to experience the typical age of sexual exploration, and Lena had been treated as a pariah at her all-girls boarding school, so even while the other girls experimented with each other they wouldn’t touch a Luthor with a ten-foot pole. Lena wasn’t innocent, but something about being with Kara made her feel like she was experiencing everything for the first time again.

Which was how she found herself being led through the ship’s corridors by Kara’s Kelex robot, carrying a plate of food. Kara had sent word that she would have to work through lunch and wouldn’t be able to join Lena, so Lena thought it would be a better alternative to just take Kara lunch herself.

She expected Kelex to lead her to the control room where she had first met General Astra, but the robot continued on, floating past the large double doors and further down the hall until it came to a smaller door, which opened automatically. Lena followed the robot inside.

Kara’s office was far from what she had expected. It was smaller than her old office at LuthorCorp. One side was full of equipment, monitors showing various charts and graphs, tracking every minute detail of what was happening on board the ship, and communications equipment that could transmit through vast distances in space. The opposite wall was literally the opposite. Printed navigational charts were stuck to every surface of the wall, along with printed images from various planets and systems. A three dimensional model of the ship sat in one corner of the room, and in the opposite corner was a desk where Kara was hard at work.

“Just put the food on the table, Kelex,” Kara said without looking up. She was staring hard at two screens in front of her, brows crinkled behind a pair of dark-framed glasses that Lena had never seen her wear before.

“Well, Kelex doesn’t have the food,” Lena said brightly, stepping further into the room to set the plate where Kara had instructed.

Kara looked up sharply, glasses sliding down her nose. “Lena? What are you doing here?”

“Bringing you lunch,” she replied simply, moving around the back of the desk. “I know you said you had to work, but I thought a short visit might not distract you too much. Plus, I’ve been curious about what exactly you do everyday as Captain of the ship.”

“Oh, well, that’s—“ Kara stuttered for a moment before sighing. “I’m glad you’re here, honestly.”

Lena moved around to the opposite side of the desk and bent down to give Kara a soft kiss. “I’m glad I’m here too.” She reached up and tapped the temple of Kara’s glasses. “What’s up with these? I’ve never seen you wear glasses before.”

“They’re protective lenses,” Kara explained. “I wear them when I have to stare at these screens for hours on end to keep my eyes sharp.”

“That’s smart,” Lena said, looking at Kara intently. “I like them, you look good.”

Kara blushed. “Thank you.”

“So, can you eat and talk shop at the same time?” Lena asked, gesturing to the plate of food.

As Kara ate her meal, she told Lena about the different things she worked on everyday. She received reports from the heads of the different maintenance units on board on all of the ship’s functions, making sure that everything from the engine to the air quality system to the waste evacuation system were all running properly. She kept track of food rations along with their head chef and maintained communications with the conservatory workers to plan meals and make sure they had the food they needed. She made sure injured crew members were properly taken care of and that their positions could be covered while they were recovering. She dealt with any personal or professional issues that arose between crew members as well.

“Oh my god,” Lena said, finally. “You’re a CEO.”

“What?” Kara asked.

Lena laughed. “You basically do the same job that I did on Earth. Do you realize that?”

“Sort of, I guess,” Kara replied. “I mean, I knew you ran a company but I didn’t really know what all that entailed.”

“Well, it’s very similar,” Lena said. “It all comes down to managing assets and people. You know, if you ever want any help with your work, maybe I could come assist you, if that’s allowed?”

Kara sat back in her chair with a thump. “You would do that?”

“Yeah,” Lena said softly. “It’s… I mean, Kelly says I should find something to do that utilizes my skill sets. I’ve thought about doing research with Andrea, or my own research. But maybe I could also help with some of this? I’m not military, but if I can manage a failing company I can probably manage a ship.”

Kara grinned. “You’re brilliant, Lena. I’m sure you could do anything on Krypton that you set your mind to.”

This was new for them. They never really talked about Lena’s future— in fact, Lena had a feeling Kara avoided it intentionally. So much was still up in the air, quite literally.

“Well, there are perks to working with you,” Lena said, sliding Kara’s empty plate out of the way so there was an empty spot on her desk. She sat gently on the table in front of Kara and moved so that one leg draped on either side of where Kara sat.

Kara swallowed hard, the muscles in her throat flexing with the movement. “Um… perks?”

“Mmhmm, definite perks,” Lena told her, and her words were accompanied by a burst of sweet scent that filled the office. Kara’s nose twitched and her pupils dilated. “And I don’t mean life insurance or a 401K.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Kara stammered as Lena leaned closer. Lena just chuckled.

“I think you know what I mean,” she said as she pressed her lips against Kara’s.

Kara was definitely a quick study at kissing, but she was also observant and determined. For their first few kisses she had been content to just copy Lena’s motions, to learn the basics, but now, _now_ she seemed to really be getting it, setting her own pace and also finding the best ways to make Lena moan deep in her throat and produce more sweet and spicy arousal pheromones. Rather than cautious and explorative, her kisses were bold and possessive, and the change made Lena’s addiction even stronger.

“You’re getting good at that,” Lena joked breathlessly as she pulled away for air.

Kara stood, kicking her seat away, and cupped Lena’s jaws to pull her into another kiss. Lena pulled in oxygen and the wonderful scent of Kara’s pheromones through her nose as Kara’s tongue stroked lasciviously against her own. The Alpha stepped closer between her legs and wrapped one arm around Lena’s waist, pulling them tightly together. Lena gasped and Kara pulled away from her lips, pressing kisses down the side of her neck to the place where her neck met her shoulder.

“ _Rao_ you smell so good,” Kara said in a moan so deep it was almost a growl. She dragged her teeth over the skin there, where a Kryptonian mating bite would go.

Lena groaned at the sensation as sparks of arousal shot straight from Kara’s hint of a bite down to her core. Kara pushed her hips closer to Lena’s, until she could feel the bulge beneath Kara’s uniform pressing hard against the hot cleft of her sex.

“God, Kara, slow down,” Lena murmured, the rational part of her mind barely able to overpower the arousal that coursed through her.

Kara just murmured something in Kryptonese and pressed her lips back to Lena’s. She stroked into Lena’s mouth with her tongue just as she began rolling her hips into Lena’s center, copying the rhythm of her kiss with the rhythm of her thrusts. Lena couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her as one press hit precisely against her clit through her trousers.

“Kara,” she said breathlessly as the Kryptonian’s lips left hers again, moving once more to her neck. “Kara, we need to stop.”

Kara growled against her neck and the scent around them changed. Lena almost choked on the cloying spicy scent and she could feel wetness flood between her legs in response.

“ _Mine_ ,” Kara growled into her neck, nipping again.

Lena cried out. “Yes, yours, someday, but not now, not in your office.”

Kara growled fiercely at being denied, and suddenly Lena knew exactly what was going on.

“Oh, fuck, Kara, you need to stop,” she said, pushing at her shoulders. “You’re starting your rut, Kara.”

“Mmm, but you feel so good,” Kara whined, holding Lena tightly instead of letting go.

“I know, and you feel good too,” Lena admitted. “But you don’t want it to be like this, Kara. I’m not ready for this yet, not like this. We need to stop.”

Kara roared at the word stop and suddenly fear laced through Lena’s system, drying up any arousal she previously felt. She shoved roughly at Kara’s shoulders, and her scent changed from the sweet scent of arousal to the bitter acidic smell of fear.

“Back off, Kara!” she ordered.

Kara’s eyes widened at the order, but then she began breathing in Lena’s scent. Her eyes widened, and the blue of her irises returned slightly as her pupils shrunk.

“Lena!” she gasped, pushing herself away from the desk. “Oh, _Rao_ , Lena, I didn’t mean…”

“I know,” Lena said. “But you need to get to Alex, you need a suppressant.”

Kara looked down at herself, and Lena couldn’t help but follow her gaze to where the outline of her arousal was obvious in her pants. Lena blushed even redder than Kara at the sight.

“Here!” she exclaimed, grabbing the empty tray from the dining hall and passing it to Kara. “That should cover it.”

Kara held the tray over her crotch and looked up at Lena sharply. “Wait here until I send someone for you. That way you’ll know I’m out of the halls and not a threat.”

Lena nodded.

Kara shuffled away toward the door, casting one last look over her shoulder.

“It’s alright, Kara,” Lena assured her. “You didn’t hurt me. You stopped. You kept your promise.”

“Of course I did,” Kara said, her voice gravelly. “I love you.”

Lena’s heart leapt in her chest, lodging somewhere in her throat where it fought with her vocal cords for space. She stared at Kara dumbly for a moment before the Kryptonian hurried from the room and the doors hissed closed behind her.

 _Shit_.

Lena stood up from the desk and paced the length of the small room. This was all… Unexpected, to say the least. She hadn’t meant for this to happen this way, and she certainly didn’t expect Kara to say she loved her, not like that.

But she did.

And Lena didn’t say anything back.

She was tempted to run after her, but she knew that wasn’t safe. Just because Kara was able to fight off her rut’s urges for a while in the office didn’t mean she would be able to if she continued smelling Lena’s scent. Kara was strong and good, of that Lena was certain, but she wasn’t immune to temptation or her body’s hormonal cycles, and Lena didn’t want to make it any harder on her than it already was.

But, God, why hadn’t she said anything back?

She sat down in Kara’s chair with a thud and waited. Thankfully it wasn’t very long until the door slid open and someone entered, but it certainly wasn’t who she had hoped Kara would send after her.

“General Astra,” she said in greeting. “Is Kara alright?”

“Alex gave her a dose of rut suppressant, but her hormone production was not affected,” Astra said frankly. “She requested to be put in one of the reinforced rut cells in the brig until her rut is finished.”

“That’s not fair,” Lena argued. “She shouldn’t be a prisoner, she hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“No, it isn’t fair, and she hasn’t,” Astra barked, and the displeasure in her voice chilled Lena. “However, while there is an unbonded Omega on board the likelihood of the suppressants working on _any_ Alpha, even one as disciplined as my niece, is slim to none. Any Alpha in rut will need to be contained for the duration of their cycle for your protection and for tranquility aboard the ship.”

Lena blinked slowly. “Forgive me, General, but you sound as if you’re blaming me for this?”

“Oh, believe me, I am,” Astra said with a frown.

“I don’t understand,” Lena said. “I didn’t choose to be turned into an Omega.”

“No, but you choose to remain unbonded,” Astra growled. “There are over one hundred mated pairs on this ship, over one hundred Omegas on board and none of them are causing such chaos. Their pheromones only call to their mates, and the mated scent on them repels unmated Alphas. But you, with no mating bite, you stir them up into a frenzy.”

“So you would have me mate Kara,” Lena surmised.

“Do you really find her objectionable?” Astra asked. “I’ve seen you together, so I don’t believe you do. And believe me, you couldn’t do much better in choosing a mate, and I’m not saying that because I’m biased as her aunt. She’s an excellent soldier, in high standing with Argo’s Council, a high-ranking lady within the court, the King’s cousin…”

“I don’t care about her titles or her status in society,” Lena said with a frown.

“No?” Astra asked. “Well then, consider this. She’s incredibly kind, even when the universe has not been kind to her. She is courageous in the face of adversity and danger. She holds herself with honor, but is not too proud to apologize when she has wronged someone, and she will always learn from her mistakes. She loves fiercely and without reserve. There is no better Alpha on this ship or on Argo, believe you me.”

Lena’s face pinched with confusion, but she didn’t reply. Astra looked away from her, allowing her to process her words.

“I’m afraid I got the wrong impression of you, General Astra,” Lena said finally.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the first time I met you I walked in on you berating Kara for being weak and naive,” Lena said. “I didn’t realize how much you care for her.”

Astra scoffed. “Of course I care for her. I love her. She’s my family.”

“Believe me, we don’t always care for our family,” Lena said bitterly. “Tell me, if you love her so much, why do you push her so hard?”

“I push her, as you say, because I care about her,” Astra told Lena. “You have no idea what our world has become. Our entire civilization fell when we left Krypton. Our society was on the brink of failure, of civil war. Our leaders have struggled and they have not always made the right choices. And Kara is the daughter of the man who many people blame for all of that. She has to be strong and disciplined. Any failure, any weakness on her part will be viewed exponentially more severe than anyone else.”

“Yet you encouraged her to take me,” Lena stated.

“Not the way she did it,” Astra said. “And I only told her the truth, there have been rumors of Alphas picking certain women based on the files from the Collection Bureau and ordering those specific women be taken so that they will have a chance. Kara had never shown any interest in courting women on Argo, only in you, so I thought perhaps… But I never would’ve encouraged Kara to use her one chance on having a mate on you, not with so many unknown variables.”

Lena bit her cheek as she contemplated things.

“You remind me of my mate,” Astra said after a while, her voice tinged with melancholy. “I should’ve known I wouldn’t convince you in a single conversation.”

“Kara told me you were mated, before,” Lena said. “And that you had a daughter.”

“My mate was…” Astra looked toward the monitors on the wall and sighed, as if speaking of the woman hurt her. “Her name was Enali. She was brilliant and gentle. And headstrong, frustratingly so at times. When we were courting we would talk for hours about science and space travel. I wanted to show her every corner of the universe, every sun and star.” Astra took a deep breath. “But then the war came. I spent far too much time away from her then. But when Tala was born, I requested more time at home. I always felt loving my people meant fighting for them, but I also knew I would only experience my daughter’s childhood once. I have many regrets in my life, Lena, but loving my wife and daughter, electing to spend my days with them instead of in battle, is not one of them.”

Astra cleared her throat and looked back toward Lena. “I was part of the Council when Zor-El made his proposal. I voted yes, for him to use it to end the war, but was outvoted. I never imagined he would attempt to take it himself, never imagined that it would fall into enemy hands. When the virus struck, Enali was pregnant with our second pup. I think that was the worst part for her, not the realization that she would die but knowing that our pup would die along with her. The only solace was that she died before the virus could begin affecting Tala.”

Astra’s voice shook and she blinked quickly “She was only eight years old. She hadn’t yet presented as an Alpha or Omega. I thought she might be safe— she might be an Alpha, or if she was to be an Omega, the virus wouldn’t affect her because she was so young. But I was mistaken, on both counts. It took the young Omegas faster even than the adults. One day they were alive and whole, and the next they were gone.”

“Astra I— I’m so sorry,” Lena said, blinking away her own tears.

“I will see them again someday, in Rao’s light,” Astra said with unwavering certainty. “I will never know the kind of happiness I had with Enali again, but I have always held hope that Kara might. She denies herself so much, carries such weight. I’ve seen you together, Lena. I believe you could make her happy, the way Enali made me happy so many years ago.”

Lena looked down at her lap. She didn’t know what to say to that. Kara’s earlier words rushed through her head.

 _I love you_.

“I should take you back to your quarters,” Astra said finally. Lena nodded and rose from the chair, following the Alpha into the hallway.

“Did you ever think of taking another mate?” Lena asked as they walked.

“I tried once,” Astra told her. “Before the Collection, when humans were experimenting to see if the reproductive organs of female Alphas could be stimulated to carry a child. I served with a man named Non. I knew I would never love him like Enali, but I respected him, and I thought that would be enough. But our Alpha dispositions clashed too much. We each wanted to dominate the other. I was stronger than him, but he felt that as the male he should be the dominant one in the relationship. I think if we had remained together, we might’ve actually killed each other. Now we simply mark it off as a failed venture and respect each other as comrades.”

“Wow,” Lena commented. That was not what she was expecting. “What about a human? Someone who was collected from Earth?”

Astra smiled, but it was a bitter expression. “I have had true happiness once, Lena. I do not believe I am fated to hold it again. The women who come to Argo deserve mates who can love them wholeheartedly, not someone who has already sent over half of their heart into Rao’s light.”

Astra stopped at the end of the hall that led to Lena’s quarters. “I take my leave of you now, Lena Luthor. Kara’s rut cycle will be over in four days time. I cannot make your choice for you, but I do ask that you take my words into consideration.”

“I will, General Astra,” Lena agreed.

The Kryptonian Alpha nodded, then turned on her heel and left Lena standing in the hallway. Lena sighed, suddenly exhausted, and headed back to her room. She placed her hand against the door and stepped inside as it slid closed.

She was not alone.

A man was standing on the opposite side of her bed, bent over her bedside table. He muttered to himself as he moved and suddenly Lena realized what he was doing.

“Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?” she demanded.

The man stood straight up, holding her tablet in his hands. Lena’s eyes widened in shock and realization.

“You’re a human!” she exclaimed.

“My name’s Winn Schott,” the man said nervously. “And the real question is, what the hell are _you_ doing, Lena Luthor?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I’m sorry I ended on a cliffhanger.
> 
> But on another note: WINN!!!
> 
> Also: Random question. I’m really leaning toward a pairing that I have never seen in any fanfics before, but it kind of makes sense in this universe, and that’s Astra and Sam. If it’s not Sam, it’ll probably be a random OC. What do you guys think? GeneralReign? Or Astra/OC?  
> (Sam would be 100% human, no worldkiller, and you would also get a bonus Ruby)


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What has Lena been doing on that tablet?
> 
> Also, Lena misses Kara... a lot...
> 
> And Lena’s first ever game night aboard the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you guys so much for reading this. Just want you to know that.
> 
> Also, I can’t remember who called Andrea “mamacita” in your comment but I’m totally stealing that as Lena’s new nickname for her bc it’s adorable so thanks for that lol

“My name’s Winn Schott,” the man said nervously. “And the real question is, what the hell are _you_ doing, Lena Luthor?”

Lena pushed down her shock and raised her chin. “That’s none of your business.”

He snorted. “Actually it is. I’m head tech on the Collection ships, so it’s completely my business when someone hacks into the ship’s network and starts bypassing security features to send messages to Earth.”

The tablet in his hands beeped and he looked down and began typing again.

“Don’t touch that!” Lena ordered.

“Again, head tech,” Winn told her.

Lena moved across the room toward him, intent on yanking the tablet away if necessary, but before she could get to him he held his hands up in surrender and put the tablet back down on the nightstand.

“Okay, okay, geez,” Winn said, taking in her furious expression. “Seriously, on the one hand I’m ridiculously impressed because whatever you did is completely genius. I mean, I was confident in my coding but you just bypassed it completely. You have a degree in computer science, though, right?”

“Two,” Lena replied, grabbing the tablet and looking down at the screen. She scanned the code, making sure he hadn’t messed anything up. “You’re the one who did the code? It’s very impressive, honestly. It was the most challenging thing I’ve worked with, and not just because part of it’s in Kryptonese.”

“Right, so… Care to explain what you’re trying to do?” Winn asked. “I can tell you were communicating with someone on Earth, but I couldn’t get figure out who or what.”

“Only if you tell me what the hell a human man is doing on a Kryptonian vessel,” Lena said, sitting down and leveling Winn with a calculating look.

“Oh, um, well,” Winn said, scratching the back of his neck. “I came here with the first group of scientists from Earth like fifteen years ago to help research the Kryptonians’ reproductive problems.”

“So you’re a scientist too?” Lena asked.

“Oh, heck no,” Winn replied. “I’m strictly a computer guy. But they needed somebody to help integrate the tech on the team and keep things running. You know how most scientists are, they’re geniuses when it comes to their area of expertise but when it comes to computers, they don’t even know how to change their passwords.”

“But you must’ve been young,” Lena said, looking the man up and down. He couldn’t have been a day over thirty-five.”

“I was nineteen,” Winn told her. “And, um, I didn’t really volunteer. More like volun-told. I kind of hacked into the federal student loans database and erased two million dollars worth of student debt. At my sentencing they basically told me I could spend the next thirty years in prison or I could spend the next five working with scientists on Argo. I went with the five. And then while I was on Argo I met my wife, she’s from the Starhaven system. Once my five years was up, I decided to stay. When Kara became captain of her own ship, she gave me a job running tech, and now I’m running tech for the entire fleet of thirty ships.”

“So you know Kara?” Lena asked.

“Yep, she’s a dear friend,” Winn replied.

The tablet in Lena’s hand beeped again, and she looked down. She typed out a short coded message and sent it, then looked back up to see Winn’s curious expression.

“What exactly are you doing?” he asked.

Lena bit her lip. “You can’t tell Kara. She wouldn’t understand, she’d take it the wrong way.”

“Whoa, hang on,” Winn said. “She’s the captain. I have to tell her.”

“But it’s just…” Lena sighed. “Look, do you know how she brought me on the ship?”

“Yeah,” he said sheepishly. “I, um… I might’ve been the one who helped her hack into your medical records. And the security cameras at LuthorCorp.”

Lena stared at him in shock. “Okay… Also impressive, but I’m not sure if I should kick you or not for that blatant invasion of my privacy.”

“Could we go with _not_ since it ended up curing your cancer in the long run?” Winn asked with a wince.

Lena didn’t reply. “Well, since you know all that, you know how quickly she brought me aboard the ship. I didn’t receive a writ of surrender, I wasn’t allowed any time to set my affairs in order. I didn’t have time to transfer ownership of LuthorCorp or make sure my employees and their interests were looked after. I didn’t have time to allocate my own resources. Once I was here, everyone told me that I should just let it go and try to accept my new life here, but I couldn’t, Winn. Too many people on Earth depended on me and I didn’t want to let them down. So… I hacked the system. I learned Krytonese, at least enough for this, and I hacked it. For the last week, I’ve been sending messages to my former assistant, my lawyers, and members of the LuthorCorp board to get my affairs in order on Earth before we leave for Argo.”

“So…” Winn sat down on the foot of Lena’s bed with a huff, and Lena’s brow wrinkled at his sudden familiarity. “You’re not trying to sabotage the ship?”

“Of course not,” Lena said. “Why the hell would I do that? Especially since _I’m on the ship_?”

“Oh, right,” Winn said. “And you’re not trying to escape?”

Lena snorted. “What good would that do? According to everyone on the ship it’s the laws made by humans that wouldn’t allow me back now that I have Kryptonian DNA.”

“Also true,” Winn said, glancing at the tablet. “Ugh… Okay, listen, I won’t tell anyone _if_ you’ll help me with something.”

——

Lena laid in bed and stared into the darkness. She should feel exhausted after the day she had had, but her mind was running full steam and her body buzzed with an unexplainable energy.

She hadn’t told Winn the entire truth. When she started learning Kryptonese and trying to hack into the ship’s network, she had every intention of attempting to escape. Her first messages had been aimed at getting permission to return back to Earth, in spite of the laws. But over the last few weeks, the weeks spent courting Kara, her intentions had changed.

On Earth, the Collection process had started a week ago. Women who were selected had been given their Writs of Surrender. They were given a month to get their affairs in order. Since Lena hadn’t had that time, she had to do all of the work virtually while aboard the ship. She messaged Jess, a few trusted members of the board, and her attorneys. She focused on taking care of her employees at LuthorCorp and making sure what remained of the company was taken care of. She revised her will, leaving most of her assets to various charities and gifting some things to dear friends.

Her ties to Earth were becoming weaker and weaker, as her ties to a future on Krypton became stronger. Lena had a hard time imagining any future without Kara, and that fact no longer scared her.

She thought back to her actions— and inaction— earlier in the day and groaned, rolling over and burying her face in the pillow. She knew the scent of Kara’s arousal pheromones so well by now that she could almost imagine them in her mind as she remembered how Kara felt against her, how it felt when she thrust her hips into Lena’s core. Lena had stopped her, in the office, but she had been tempted, _oh so tempted_ to let the Alpha continue.

She could imagine it far too easily. Kara stripping her down until she was naked atop her desk, Kara turning her around and bending her over the desk until her chest was pressed against the hard surface. Her hard nipples would be teased by the papers scattered there, just like they rubbed against her nightshirt now…

Lena’s eyes flew open as she realized where her train of thought had taken her, and she groaned into the pillow again, this time in frustration. The air was thick with the scent of her own arousal, which wasn’t that much of a surprise. In all honesty, she had been teetering on the edge of arousal ever since making out with Kara in her office.

Lena rolled over onto her back and sighed. Now that she was aware of it, the wetness in her panties only seemed to worsen. She was tempted to take care of business herself, but something about that just didn’t seem right. Her thoughts drifted to Kara, and she wondered how the Alpha would feel about Lena masturbating to the thought of her?

Then again, considering what Lena had read about Alphas in rut, she had a feeling Kara was doing the same thing. And she damn sure better be doing it to thoughts of Lena and not anybody else.

That mental image sent a thrill through Lena right down to her clit. She still remembered walking in on Kara naked— the image was seared into her brain. She remembered the golden skin, sleek muscles, abs she very much wanted to trace or, better yet, taste. And lower still…

Lena had read about Alpha anatomy even before she was collected— call it scientific curiosity. Male Alphas had all the private parts of a biological male human. For female Alphas, their genitalia looked much like a human female’s until puberty, at which time their clitoris developed into a penis. They still had a vestigial vagina that held some sensation, and an underdeveloped uterus that couldn’t support a growing fetus, and their sex cells could actually survive the temperatures inside their bodies, unlike human sperm. And they had very little body hair aside from the hair on their heads, so all of this was in plain view once they had their clothes off.

Lena knew all this, but seeing it and seeing it on Kara was a completely different thing entirely. Lena had seen her soft, but had felt the hardness of her beneath the fabric of her uniform. She could just imagine Kara now, hand wrapped around her cock, pleasuring herself, a gasp and a breathy whisper of _Lena_ on her lips.

Before Lena knew it, her own hand was down the front of her pajama bottoms, sliding beneath the elastic of her underwear, and into wet heat. She knew she was wet, but even Lena was surprised by how drenched she was, how easily her fingers slid through her folds. Her clit was hard and throbbing, so she circled it and imagined that it was Kara’s hands against her, Kara’s hands teasing and stroking. Her other hand went to her chest and she rubbed at her breasts through the shirt she wore, letting the silky fabric tease against her nipples.

Her imagination ran wild as she touched herself: Kara over her, chest to chest, breasts stroking against breasts as they moved; Kara’s long, deft fingers dipping low and bringing moisture up to circle and stroke at her clit; Kara, sweet, strong Kara, lining up their hips and thrusting in until she was buried to the hilt.

Lena cried out in elation and frustration as she slid two fingers in to the knuckles. It felt so good, but still not quite enough. She scissored her fingers as she thrust, stretching herself, until finally adding a third finger. She dropped her other hand from her breasts down to circle her clit as she thrust her fingers in and out, stroking up against the rigid flesh inside of her with every motion. In her mind she imagined it wasn’t her fingers stretching her but Kara’s thick cock, but she knew that it would stretch her even wider, hit even deeper with each thrust. Frustration mixed with pleasure as she chased her climax.

She knew Alphas developed a knot at the base of their dicks upon climaxing, and she couldn’t help but imagine what that might feel like, to be stretched impossibly wide and tied to Kara as she pumped her seed into her. She could almost imagine it, Kara straining above her, sweat-soaked blonde hair clinging to her as she came into Lena.

Lena’s orgasm hit with the force of a freight train. Lena bucked up into her hand, chasing the pleasure, as a cry that sounded startlingly similar to Kara’s name ripped from her throat. Every muscle in her body tensed as blissful shocks echoed from Lena’s center through her body all the way to the tips of her fingers.

When it finally ended, Lena collapsed into a heap onto the bed and gasped for much-needed air. She pulled her fingers free and wiped them against the sheets, then stood up and stepped into the bathroom to clean herself up. She changed into a fresh set of panties and pajamas that weren’t sweat- and sex-stained, then looked at herself in the mirror.

She looked absolutely debauched. Her skin was still flushed red down to her chest, her nipples still strained against her clean nightshirt, and her hair was a tangled mess around her face. Lena looked at herself with wide eyes for a moment before smiling and laughing slightly.

If she looked like this and felt like this after simply masturbating to the thought of Kara, she could only imagine what the real deal might be like.

——

“I do not understand the purpose of this game.”

Lena glanced up from where she was seated on the floor of Alex and Kelly’s quarters between Andrea and Winn. Winn kept jostling her as he maneuvered the plastic controller in his hands, as if somehow upper body movements would make him more successful. On his opposite side, Kelly, was biting her lip as she focused on the screen.

It was Russ-El that had spoken, from his seat on the sofa behind them. Andrea leaned into his legs and hummed lightly as he stroked her hair.

“I’m beginning to see the appeal,” Alex said, brows furrowed as she watched the monitor on the wall intently. On the screen, two computer-generated go-karts raced around a pixelated track. Suddenly one hit what looked like a turtle-shell and spun around rapidly, allowing the other to overtake it.

“Ha! Gotcha!” Winn shouted victoriously.

“No fair!” Kelly shouted, face morphing into a pout. “I swear, you programmed this thing just so you could win. Stupid Koopa Troopas…”

“Nope, I wouldn’t let him,” Lena replied, taking a sip of her drink. When Winn had told her that the price of his silence was her assistance on programming a video game, she had agreed quickly. When she had realized he wanted to convert Mario Kart to play on the Kryptonian network, she had actually laughed out loud.

“Hey, I was just joking when I said that!” Winn exclaimed, then muttered, “Well, mostly joking.”

Alex plopped down in the floor beside Kelly. “Okay, somebody show me how this thing works.”

Kelly grinned at her mate. “Well, this is the controller…”

“Hey you! Help me up so I can get some more food,” Andrea said, poking Lena in the side.

Lena chuckled and stood, unfolding herself from her awkward position on the floor. She turned and grabbed Andrea’s hands in hers, then pulled her to her feet.

“Easy there, _mamacita_ ,” Lena giggled as she steadied a swaying Andrea.

“You try standing up fast when you’re carrying around a cantaloupe in your gut,” Andrea groaned. “I swear my center of gravity has shifted.”

“How much longer until you pop again?” Lena asked.

“Eight weeks,” Andrea groaned, rubbing the side of her belly. “But according to Alex, he’s a big boy, so I could go early.”

“Is it safe for him to be born while we’re traveling through space?” Lena asked as they loaded their plates down with the snack foods on Alex and Kelly’s dining table.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t, Lena,” Andrea reminded her. “Kryptonians have been having babies during space travel for centuries, apparently. Because mated pairs usually travel together, it’s normal for them. They have everything we could possibly need stocked in the medbay in case of an emergency. And they also have pain medication, which I will be using. Liberally.”

Lena giggled at that, and watched as Kelly coached Alex through her first round of Mario Kart. Then she turned to Andrea.

“I never imagined either of us as mothers, when we were younger,” she said. “But I know you’re going to be an amazing mom.”

“You will be too, someday,” Andrea replied, “if that’s what you want.”

Lena bit her lip. “I think I do, actually.”

“Good,” Andrea said, patting her belly. “Because this one’s gonna need a best friend, got it?”

Lena chuckled. “Got it.”

“Kara Zor-El requests entry.”

Lena quickly turned toward the door at the robotic voice’s announcement.

“Let her in,” Kelly shouted absentmindedly, still staring at the screen. “Ooo, dodge that!”

Kara entered the room looking far from the captain that Lena knew. She wore soft stretchy pants and a loose gray henley-style shirt, and her hair was freshly washed and pinned back from her face with just a few loose tendrils. She looked soft and sleepy and all Lena wanted to do was wrap her in a tight hug— so she did.

“Hey, stranger,” she said softly as her arms tucked around the Alpha’s waist.

“Hey to you,” Kara said, kissing the top of her head softly. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Lena admitted. She turned and placed a soft kiss on Kara’s jaw, and then the Alpha turned and kissed her fully on the lips, all sweet and soft and wonderful.

“Ew! Get a room!” Alex shouted.

“We are in a room!” Kara shouted back petulantly.

“Yeah, but it’s _my_ room!” Alex argued. Kara just stuck her tongue out at her sister.

“Settle down, children!” Winn teased as he pushed himself up out of the floor.

“Winn!” Kara shouted, reluctantly releasing Lena to hug the human tightly. “Oh my gosh, what are you doing on my ship?”

“There was a little technical issue, but we got it all worked out,” Winn said, exchanging a glance with Lena. “Plus, while I was here I got your girlfriend to help me finish converting my video game so…”

“You got it working?” Kara exclaimed excitedly.

“Technically Lena got it working,” Winn admitted.

Kara looked at Lena like she had just solved world hunger. “Oh my gosh, that’s amazing.”

Lena blushed. “It was just code.”

“Does that mean you’ll finally teach me how to play?” Kara asked Winn. Then a thought occurred to her. “Wait, Lena, do you know how to play?” 

“Winn beat me earlier, but yes, I know how to play,” Lena said.

“Then you can teach me!” Kara declared happily.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Winn said. “Pretty girl shows up and suddenly your best human friend is just chopped liver, huh?”

Kara frowned. “What does this have to do with liver?”

Lena chuckled, but in moments it turned into full belly laughter. She wrapped an arm around Kara’s waist and pulled her in.

“God, I missed you,” she said again. “What if Winn and I both show you the ropes. He can have the first game against you since he’s known you the longest, and then you and I can play. Sound good?”

“Sounds awesome,” Kara said excitedly. She looked toward the table. “But wait, is that food? Did you guys get those potsticker things that Jola’s mate Liang Ju makes in the kitchens? You better have saved me some!”

Lena kept her arms wrapped around Kara as she loaded down a plate and sat in front of the monitor. Winn began giving her the rundown on the basics of Mario Kart, and the Alpha watched intently with full cheeks looking something like a chipmunk. Around them, the other mated couples sat on the sofa, chatting and watching them play. It was the most comfortable Lena had felt in months, since even before she was brought aboard the ship.

It felt like home.

She could get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm... could it all be that easy???
> 
> Not sure when exactly I’ll get the next chapter posted, because honestly I’m just freaking exhausted from work and while I’m loving the escape I get from writing this in the evening, I may escape tomorrow by enjoying karaoke and alcohol instead of writing. Or possibly just going to sleep at like 7pm.
> 
> But anyway... I think Astra/Sam is going to happen but it’s going to be a side-line story, and it won’t be for several more chapters (after Ch.20 at least). Thank you guys for all your feedback on that, I value everyone’s input even if it’s not what I’m doing (unlike some people who cannot accept opinions that don’t line up with what they’re creating *cough cough*)
> 
> Also, I’ve had some comments asking, smut is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. I’m thinking chapter 20, possibly 21 depending on pacing. But I hope the bit of self-love you got in this chapter will tide you over until then (that was NOT PLANNED, btw, it just kinda happened).


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As usual, this got a little out of hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience, but I think this update will be worth it.

“So what did you think?”

It was a silly question really, based on the goofy grin on Kara’s face as she spread out like a starfish on Lena’s bed.

“I _loved_ it,” she gushed, beaming up at Lena. “It was so good and sweet and the ending… So much better than _Titanic_.”

“Hey, take that back!” Lena exclaimed, smacking the Kryptonian with a pillow.

“Can’t take it back if it’s true!” Kara argued, shielding herself with her arms. “Tell me the truth, which ending is better, _The Princess Bride_ or _Titanic_?”

“Neither,” Lena answered seriously. “They’re just so different, it’s impossible to choose.”

“Well I choose the happily ever after,” Kara said, rolling over onto her stomach. “I like happily ever after.”

Lena grinned even though Kara couldn’t see her. She loved Kara like this— relaxed and content. But these moments were becoming few and far between as the Collection drew closer.

It felt like time had sped up since Kara’s rut. The ship bustled with new energy as the date of the actual Collection drew near. Dormitory-like quarters were prepared for the women and people rushed around to make sure everything from food to toiletries were stocked, even purchasing some shipments from Earth. Communications were made between the ships and the Collection Bureaus on Earth to make sure the process was proceeding as expected. Beyond that, the ship was made ready for the return trip to Krypton, which would begin just a few days after the human women came aboard. Engines were checked to make sure they were all in perfect shape to make the interstellar voyage. They would travel without stopping for two months before they reached Argo.

It was an anxious time for everyone, but particularly for Kara, whose position made her supervisor over all of the preparations and put any failure squarely on her shoulders. She was good at her job— Lena had seen that from the many times she helped in her office, looking over reports of things that she could understand and assist with— but Lena could also see the stress she carried. Lena was not immune to the buzz of anxiety, from her own secret project of trying to get her affairs on Earth in order before they departed, her general unease about the Collection process as a whole, and the idea of starting a whole new life in an unknown world with all the complications that came with it.

All of that made these nights together so wonderful. They still carved out time for dates, and they seemed to have an unspoken agreement that they would spend their time doing the least-stressful things they could find to do on the ship. Several nights that meant Lena found an Earth movie from the ship’s network and introduced it to Kara, and they made themselves comfortable either on Lena’s bed or Kara’s sofa to watch it. Kara had actually seen many of the movies— they were a critical part to learning Earth languages, apparently, and Winn had introduced her to several nerd-classics throughout the years of their friendship— but Lena was making sure they saw plenty of romances and dramas as well.

Kara groaned, bringing Lena’s attention back to the present. She had her face buried between Lena’s pillows, and the muscles of her shoulders tensed beneath the tank top she was wearing. Lena couldn’t resist reaching out and rubbing at the soft-golden skin on display.

“You’re a little tense, Captain,” she said, digging her fingers into one particularly tight muscle.

Kara groaned again, then sighed as the muscle released. “Just a bit. _Rao_ , that feels good.”

An idea suddenly occurred to Lena. “Well, if that feels good, I could give you a massage?”

Kara turned her head slightly, looking up at Lena. “Are you sure?”

“I don’t mind,” Lena said. “Just take your top off and I’ll go get some lotion.”

She hopped off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom before her mind could catch up with her. She grabbed a bottle of lotion with coconut oil from the cabinet and then made her way back to the bedroom.

Kara was still lying on her front, but her shirt was in a heap beside her on the bed. She shifted a bit uncomfortably until Lena ran a hand down her back.

“You don’t have to do this,” Kara said as she shivered slightly.

“Kara, I want to help you relax,” Lena said. “Do you want me to do this?”

“I— Yes,” Kara said bashfully, and buried her face back into the pillow.

Lena chuckled as she squeezed a dollop of lotion between her palms and held it to warm it up. “Don’t worry, Captain. You’re not making me do anything I’m uncomfortable with, and I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. Okay?”

Lena heard a muffled _Okay_ from the pillows, but it was quickly swallowed by a groan as Lena began rubbing at Kara’s shoulders. Lena grinned as she rubbed the lotion into Kara’s skin, then began massaging into the muscles below. She was nowhere near a professional masseuse, but Kara didn’t seem to mind. She slowly relaxed under Lena’s touch, her groans turning to sighs into the pillow as Lena pressed into the tense muscles, using more strength than she ever would’ve dared on a human.

For her part, Lena certainly didn’t mind the opportunity to run her hands over soft, golden skin and ripped muscles. She had never considered herself shallow, but damn if Kara’s physique didn’t call to her on a primal level, and she couldn’t even blame the Omega genes they had added to her DNA. As Lena moved further down to Kara’s lower back she moved to straddle the Kryptonian, thighs on either side of Kara’s glutes so that she could put even pressure on both sides of her spine.

“Is this okay?” Lena asked before moving her palms in firm circles over Kara’s lower spine.

“Yeah,” Kara breathed, her breath hitching slightly. Suddenly a low rumbling sound erupted from her throat and she tensed until the sound stopped.

Lena froze. “Kara… Were you _purring_?”

“Um… maybe?” Kara said shyly.

Lena resumed the movement of her hands. “Do it again.”

Kara relaxed beneath her, and a moment later the rumbling sound began again. It was a slightly different timbre than a cat’s purr, almost breathy, and only sounded when Kara exhaled.

“Do you always do that when you’re relaxed?” Lena asked.

“Um… Not when I’m relaxed, exactly,” Kara replied, speaking into the pillow again.

Lena’s brow furrowed, puzzled for a moment, before a thought occurred to her. “Roll over.”

“What?” Kara exclaimed, and the purring suddenly stopped.

“Roll over so I can get your front,” Lena said simply.

“I’m, um, not sure if that’s such a good idea,” Kara said sheepishly.

“Kara, just roll,” Lena said, moving aside so she was no longer sitting astride the Kryptonian.

Kara sighed resignedly, then pushed herself up and over. Lena looked down Kara’s body, taking in the slight flush on her face that went down her neck to her chest, the stiff peaks of her nipples, her tense abs, and, in her pajama bottoms, an impressive tent.

“So you purr when you’re aroused,” Lena surmised.

Kara nodded, staring at the ceiling. Lena looked her up and down once more and swallowed hard before putting on her most serious business face. She pumped another dollop of lotion between her hands and moved to straddle Kara.

Kara growled low in her throat. “I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”

Lena moved her hands to the Alpha’s shoulders and ran her thumbs along the clavicles, massaging the muscles with her fingertips. “Do you want me to stop?”

Kara was quiet for a long moment as Lena continued to gently massage her shoulders. She looked up at the ceiling before screwing her eyes shut. “No, Rao help me, I don’t want you to stop.”

Lena grinned like the cat that ate the canary. “What do you want me to do then?”

“Touch me,” Kara whined. “Anywhere, everywhere, just… keep doing what you’re doing.”

Lena couldn’t help herself. She bent down and kissed Kara deeply as her hands drifted lower. She traced down Kara’s sternum before moving her hands up and out. Kara hissed into her mouth as Lena palmed her breasts and pinched her nipples slightly between her fingers. The purring sound began anew as Lena stroked and pulled at the sensitive flesh. Kara groaned in complaint when Lena’s hands finally began trailing lower. She ran her fingernails lightly over Kara’s abdomen, making her tense the muscles there even further, before she stroked her slick palms down, dipping her thumb into Kara’s belly button as she went.

When Lena’s fingers teased at the waistband of her pants, Kara gasped, breaking the kiss. Lena looked up into blue eyes as she plucked at the stretchy fabric of Kara’s pajamas.

“Can I?” she asked, slipping one finger beneath the waistband to clarify her intention.

“You don’t have to,” Kara said quickly.

Lena bent and kissed Kara’s cheek. “I know I don’t have to, Kara. But I want to. I want to see you… touch you.”

Kara whimpered and her hips bucked at the thought.

“If you want to, yeah,” Kara said.

“What do you want me to do?” Lena asked, repeating her question from earlier.

Kara’s answer was the same. “Touch me.”

Lena sat back and used both hands to reach for the waistband of Kara’s pants. She pulled them halfway down the Kryptonian’s thighs, so that her cock could bounce free of its confines. Lena’s mouth went dry at the sight.

“Can I—?”

“Please,” Kara whimpered, hips thrusting up into the air.

Lena wrapped her lotion-slick hand around the length of Kara’s cock and the Kryptonian groaned. Lena’s eyes darted back and forth from her stroking hand to Kara’s face as she moved, pumping slowly up and down Kara’s considerable length. Kara wasn’t unnaturally large, as some rumors about Kryptonians had said, but she wasn’t small by any stretch of the imagination. Lena’s fingers struggled to meet around her girth as she stroked. She ran her thumb over the weeping tip and used the precum she gathered to lubricate her hand as she continued moving.

“Lena,” Kara gasped, blue eyes screwed shut. She bit her lip as her hips thrust into Lena’s hand, and her fists grasped tightly at the bedsheets. Lena bent over and kissed Kara’s cheek, then dragged her lips along her cheek and jaw even as her hand continued working.

“Is this good?” Lena asked, squeezing lightly near the base of Kara’s cock. She could already feel how the skin there was beginning to stretch into the beginning of Kara’s knot.

“So good,” Kara whimpered. “‘M close… Lena.”

“That’s alright, darling,” Lena said, pressing her body closer to Kara’s side. She could feel her own hard nipples beneath her nightshirt and they pressed into Kara’s arm.

“Want… to… last,” Kara groaned as Lena squeezed again. “Can’t… Just…”

Lena sucked at the skin on Kara’s neck and the result was instantaneous. The Alpha stiffened as if lightning had struck her, and the flesh beneath Lena’s hand, at the base of her cock, inflated with a sudden rush of blood. Kara yelped and grabbed for the shirt she had stripped off minutes before, moving the fabric in front of her cock to catch her release. The muscles beneath Lena’s lips strained as Kara came and came, her release rocking her entire body. Finally she relaxed back into the mattress with a sigh, gently knocking Lena’s hand away as she moved the stained shirt away.

Lena grinned and snuggled closer to Kara’s side, pressing small kisses to her jaw. It took several minutes before she regained her senses, and finally Kara looked down at her with a look of shock and awe.

“Lena,” she said, her voice that soft, reverent tone she normally used for speaking of her god. “Lena…”

“Good?” Lena asked, though she already knew the answer.

Suddenly Kara rolled until Lena was on her back and Kara was positioned above her. Lena tensed for a moment, mind flashing back to the last time someone had pinned her to this bed, before she reminded herself that this was Kara.

“So good,” Kara replied, nuzzling Lena’s neck. She kissed the freckle there, then moved her lips lower, placing gentle kisses and nips to the place Lena knew she wanted to leave her mark. “Wanna make you feel good too.”

Cumming hadn’t quelled Kara’s desire at all, it seemed, because her cock was still hard and it pressed into the seam of Lena’s own pajamas as Kara circled her hips against Lena’s. Kara captured Lena’s lips in a kiss as her hands skimmed Lena’s sides, up to her breasts. Kara traced the gentle curve of one with her fingertips as her tongue began stroking into Lena’s mouth in imitation of what she wanted to do with other body parts.

Lena groaned into Kara’s touch. She wanted the Alpha, that much was certain. They had danced around this for weeks, kissing and touching but never quite taking it this far. Her body definitely responded to Kara’s, to the spicy scent that filled the air around them and to the adept movements of Kara’s muscular physique against her softer frame. And she certainly had feelings for the blonde Alpha, for her strength and sweetness.

But when Kara’s hand moved beneath Lena’s shirt and began pressing for more skin, Lena froze. She stiffened even as Kara stroked gently over the soft skin of her waist, even as Kara’s kisses gentled against her lips and her hips slowed to a stop.

“Lena,” Kara said softly.

“‘M sorry,” Lena said quickly. “I can’t… I just…”

“Shh, hey,” Kara cooed, moving quickly off of Lena and onto the bed. Suddenly the air around Lena felt cold. She wrapped her arms around herself, then turned, snuggling into Kara’s bare chest for warmth. Kara stroked up and down her back in soothing circles. “It’s okay.”

Lena sniffled against Kara’s collarbone. “I want you, I do. It’s just…”

“Is it what Ty-Vel did?” Kara asked.

Lena shook her head. “No, not exactly. I mean that’s part of it, but…”

Kara pulled back and looked at her, but Lena couldn’t meet her eyes. She didn’t know how to explain. She didn’t know how to explain that even though she wanted Kara, had feelings for Kara, might even love Kara, she still hadn’t _chosen_ Kara. She hadn’t chosen to come here. And while she forgave Kara for what she had done because she had saved Lena’s life in the process, there was still a small voice in the back of her mind that couldn’t let go.

Kara didn’t seem to need an explanation. She simply nodded and hugged Lena tight and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I’m gonna go wash up, okay?” she said, pulling out of Lena’s embrace.

Lena watched as she padded into the bathroom, then moved to tuck herself beneath the covers. The slick between her thighs was still there and annoying, but she resolved that after Kara left she wouldn’t take care of it on her own. Suddenly the thought of being left in the room alone was daunting, and another shiver, this time not from cold, passed down Lena’s spine.

Kara emerged from the bathroom wearing one of Lena’s sleep shirts, her own dripping wet in her hand from being washed out in the sink.

“I should go,” she said softly, looking around awkwardly.

“No,” Lena said before she could think better of it. She pulled the covers back and looked at Kara beseechingly. “Stay.”

Kara contemplated Lena’s offer for a long moment. Then she tossed her wet shirt to the floor and slid beneath the covers. She got comfortable, then looked up at Lena. Without a word they both moved together, adjusting until they were wrapped around each other and comfortable. Lena sighed into Kara’s sternum.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “Good night.”

Kara sighed. “Good night, Lena.”

——

“You know, when we get back to Argo, you’re welcome to help with my project.”

Lena looked up from the device she was working on to where Andrea was sitting across the workbench from her and gave a noncommittal shrug.

“Maybe,” she said and then looked back down at her work.

A few minutes passed before Andrea sighed heavily. “Okay, you’ve been staring at that piece for five minutes and haven’t done anything with it. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Lena looked up again sharply. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you’re not focused,” Andrea said. “Your body's here but your mind is somewhere else.”

Lena set the device she was working on down onto the table. “I’ve just… I’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about what comes next, about life on Argo. And I want to be happy there, I do, and I’m trying, but…”

“But what?” Andrea said gently.

“But there’s still part of me that can’t let go, okay?” Lena said, her voice louder than she meant. She drew in a shuddering breath. “I’m not mad, not at Kara, not at the Kryptonians, but I’m just… I can’t get over the fact that we’re not given a choice to come here. I’m so angry that we’re just chosen at random and sent away with no option to go back. I mean… aren’t you angry? You have the sharpest temper of anyone I know, Andy, how are you not furious?”

Andrea sighed. “I am, Lena, trust me, I am. I don’t show it because I’ve had years to accept how things are. When I found out I was pregnant, I got so angry and sad that my father would never see his grandchild that I cried for days, Russ was afraid he would have to take me to the medbay because I wouldn’t eat. So I get it, I do. I think we all carry this simmering anger at what’s been done to us, but we try to shove it down in an attempt to be happy with the lives we have now.”

Lena bit her lip. “I’m not sure I can do that.”

Andrea reached across the table for Lena’s hand. “I’m sorry, Lena. There’s a selfish part of me that’s glad to have my best friend with me again, but I’m also sorry that you have to leave everything.”

“It’s not even like I had much to leave,” Lena scoffed. “My mother and brother are both in jail, my company was failing. My life here will probably be infinitely happier than my life would’ve been on Earth. But my mind still won’t let it go.”

Andrea opened her mouth to speak, but before she could the door to the lab slid open. Kara rushed in and looked around frantically before her eyes landed on Lena.

“Kara? What’s wrong?” Lena asked, reading her expression.

“Astra has summoned both of us to the control room,” she said quickly. “I was helping with supply intake when I received word. We’re both supposed to report immediately.”

Lena frowned as she stood. “Why would she summon me? Did I make a mistake when I was assisting you with your reports?”

“I don’t think so, but I don’t know,” Kara said breathlessly. “I just know she sounded very angry. I don’t think we should keep her waiting.”

Lena said a quick goodbye to Andrea and then followed Kara through the hallways toward the control room. She racked her brain, trying to think of what Astra might possibly want with them. Then, as they approached the control room doors, she saw the back of Winn’s head as he entered ahead of them.

She stopped abruptly, heart hammering in her chest. “Kara?”

The Alpha, who had taken several strides ahead of her, turned back to her. “Lena, we should hurry…”

“Kara, you need to know something,” Lena said quickly, reaching for Kara’s hand and pulling her back.

“You’re scaring me,” Kara said softly as she looked down at Lena’s wide eyes.

“I love you,” Lena said quickly. “You need to know that, okay?”

Kara’s jaw dropped. “Lena, I— What have you done?”

Lena shook her head. “It doesn’t matter… Well, it does, and you’re going to find out, but I want you to know that I never did anything with the intention of hurting you.” Lena’s voice softened. “I love you, okay?”

“Okay,” Kara said softly. “I lo—“

“Kara.”

General Astra’s voice was barely more than a whisper, but it sent a chill down Lena’s spine. Kara froze mid-sentence, then turned toward where her aunt stood in the doorway of the control room.

“Aunt Astra,” she said beseechingly.

“ _General_ Astra,” the older Alpha corrected. “Bring the Omega to me, Captain. We have much to discuss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal note:  
> My grandmother went to the hospital Thursday and has been diagnosed with liver failure, and we’ve brought hospice into the home. So my real life has been very very hectic for the last few days, and will be for a while. As much as I love writing and will certainly need it for an escape, I’m not sure how much I will actually be able to do in the near future because I don’t know what might happen. So please be patient because I’m not sure when updates are going to be posted. Also, send good thoughts my way, I need them desperately.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cause and effect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the support. Things haven’t really changed that much. Just know that updates will be sporadic, there’s no fixed schedule with my life right now.
> 
> Also, if there’s anything out of place or doesn’t make sense, please tell me. I did some cutting and pasting to make this chapter work and I don’t think I missed anything but I’m also really really tired.

Lena stared at the monitors in the ship’s control room. A few were still displaying info about the ship’s functions, but most were showing news broadcasts from Earth.

It was chaos.

Protests had erupted around the globe. People were being arrested left and right. Political leaders, both national and global, were meeting. Armed forces were being rallied.

And everywhere, women were doing everything they could to avoid the Collection Bureaus. Some were fleeing their home countries, some were barricading themselves inside their homes, some were investing in legal teams to argue tooth and nail against the process. But everywhere women were refusing to peacefully go along with the process any longer.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Astra demanded, gesturing toward the screens.

“It’s about damn time, honestly,” Lena said, crossing her arms. “It took them until the final Collection to stand up and do something. What was different this time?”

“You were.”

Lena looked around to where Kara was pointing to a screen. She looked at Winn with bright eyes and he pressed a control panel and suddenly the newscast it showed sounded throughout the room.

“Communications were received from Lena Luthor, sister of infamous anti-Kryptonian terrorist Lex Luthor. Lena Luthor, has been held captive on one of the Kryptonian vessels for the last seven weeks, after a member of their royal family subverted Collection protocol in order to take Luthor on board. This has prompted the removal of the head of the Collection, Secretary Emmet Vance, and investigations into illegal bribery within the Collection system.”

Winn switched to another newscast.

“—Lena Luthor, revealed that the Kryptonians provided researchers at the CDC a method of treating cancerous tumors over ten years ago, but further investigation revealed billions of dollars from pharmaceutical companies being paid to delay further research into the process and its effectiveness on humans—“

“—Former President Olstead refused to comment on whether Luthor’s accusations that Kryptonians wanted to allow their human mates to return to Earth for visitation were valid.”

“Protests demanding that Lena Luthor and all women who have been victims of the Collection be allowed to return home have erupted across the United States and spread to Australia, Japan, China, Russia, and several European countries—“

“Oh my god,” Lena said.

“I’ll ask again, Miss Luthor, do you have anything to say for yourself?” Astra demanded.

Lena straightened her spine. “I won’t repeat what I’ve said before, General. At our first meeting I asked to be allowed to return to Earth, and you refused. I told you that I had been given no time to set my affairs in order, and you gave me no recourse. So I used the tablet that Kara gave me to hack into the ship’s network and find a way to contact Earth. I messaged my assistant at LuthorCorp and my attorneys.”

“Did you instruct them to go to the press?” Astra asked.

“No, but I didn’t tell them not to, either,” Lena replied. “I’m not surprised that they did, though. A story like this is huge.”

“ _A story like this_ , as you put it, could ruin us,” Astra declared furiously. “This is the final Collection, as far as we know, but we cannot be certain. The children that have been born to Kryptonians and humans have not yet presented as Alphas or Omegas, and there is no test we can perform to know what they will be. If our children are only Alphas, then…”

“Then you have only delayed the inevitable extinction of your species,” Lena concluded. “And I know that your people are desperate, General. But human women should not be forced to leave everything they know just because your species is dying. There has to be another way.”

“I agree, but this has caused chaos,” Astra growled, gesturing at the screens.

“Sometimes that’s what it takes,” Lena said. “And I’m sorry that the Kryptonians will also have to deal with the fallout from this. From what Kara has told me and what I have seen, Kryptonians are open to allowing humans to visit Argo and Kryptonians and their mates visiting Earth. I made it clear in my communications that they needed to show that it was politicians from Earth who decided that wouldn’t be allowed. But that’s something that needs to change. Andrea wants her father to meet his grandson, and they should be able to do that. Kelly should be able to see her brother. And if Alphas still need to mate with human women, they should be allowed to go to Earth or women come to Argo to meet and court, not forced. If my actions have spurred the people on Earth to eventually change those policies, then I don’t regret it, even if it causes chaos.”

Astra stared at her for a long moment. “On one hand, Miss Luthor, I admire your tenacity. I can’t say that I disagree with your desires. But the fact remains that your actions have threatened this mission. I’ll have to send a report to the Kryptonian Council. They will decide what to do with you.”

“Of course,” Lena replied. “I understand.”

“You’re dismissed,” Astra said, looking between Kara and Lena.

Lena turned and walked from the room. As the doors slid closed behind them, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

“That wasn’t quite as bad as I was expecting, actually,” she said. When Kara didn’t reply she opened her eyes and looked at the Kryptonian.

Kara’s expression was stony. Her eyes sparkled like pale sapphires as she looked at Lena.

“Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing?” she asked, her voice soft but hard.

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Lena replied honestly. “I wasn’t trying to get away from you, Kara. I just wanted to get my affairs together on Earth. I thought that if I could set things right there, then maybe I could truly be happy here.”

“And are you? Happy here?” Kara asked, her voice lilting with the tiniest bit of hope.

“I think—“ Lena’s voice cracked at the lie she almost told. She swallowed hard and looked down at her feet. “I don’t know. I’m trying, Kara, I really am. You… _You_ make me happy. But there’s still a part of me that’s angry that my choices were taken away. Not angry at you, just angry at the system.”

“It’s going to eat at you forever, isn’t it?” Kara asked. “This anger at not having a choice. You’re going to carry it for the rest of your life.”

Lena swallowed hard. “I’ve talked to other Omegas on this ship, Kara. I think it eats at all of us. Even Kelly, and Andrea, as happy as they are and as much as they try to hide it, they feel it. That’s why I contacted Earth. I didn’t want to get away from you, that wasn’t my goal. But this needs to change.”

Kara nodded. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just… I still don’t know what I can do to change it.”

“I know,” Lena said. She reached for Kara’s hand, but the Alpha pulled away.

“I need to finish overseeing the supply intake,” she said, her voice low.

“Alright. But I’ll see you at dinner?” Lena asked.

“Probably,” Kara replied, turning and hurrying away.

As Lena watched her disappear around the corner, she had a sudden sense that she might’ve ruined everything.

——

Two days later, Lena was absolutely certain she had ruined everything. Kara had refused to speak to her. She was polite about her brush-offs, but Lena got the hint quickly. The rest of the crew gave Lena the cold shoulder, though some of the human mates looked at her with an empathetic expression. And, to make it all worse, according to the newscasts she could pick up, the final Collection was scheduled to happen as planned in spite of massive public outcry, and Lena worried that once the women were gone, arguments for allowing them to visit would be dropped— out of sight, out of mind, as it were.

It wasn’t until breakfast three days before the Collection was scheduled to begin that Kara approached her again. Lena followed Andrea and Russ-El into the dining hall for breakfast with her head held high, even though inside she felt like a piece of chewing gum that had been chewed up and spit out again. She maintained her composure as she filled her plate and took her seat, leaning into Andrea’s side for comfort. She had just finished eating when a shadow fell across her plate and the sound of a throat clearing drew her attention. She looked up to see Kara standing over them with a sheepish but determined expression on her face.

“Winn is about to leave to return to his ship,” the Alpha told her. “I thought you might want to go say goodbye. We won’t see him again until we return to Argo.”

Lena wiped her face and glanced around at Andrea and Russ-El before looking back at Kara.

“I’d love to,” she said, standing. She followed a step behind Kara as they exited the dining hall and headed toward a service lift.

“You know Winn didn’t tell Astra about your hacking?” Kara asked. “She found out from the newscasts. He didn’t even tell _me_.”

“I know, Kara,” Lena said.

They were both silent for the rest of the walk through the ship. Kara led Lena to an area she had never visited before, a massive docking station just inside the ship’s hull. The room was the size of a football field at least, and rows upon rows of silvery pods were lined up inside. Lena stared at them in awe.

“What are those?” she asked.

“Emergency escape pods,” Kara replied. “If the ship fails, these will take the ship’s occupants to the nearest planet. They’re also used for traveling between two ships and making repairs to the ship’s hull, if necessary.”

They made their way through the rows of pods until they were almost to the hull. Winn was standing dressed in what Lena could only describe as a spacesuit, an airmask dangling around his neck, speaking with another tall, blonde Alpha. As they approached, Kara inclined her head to the other woman.

“Captain,” Kara said, then grinned. “How are you, Ava?”

“Doing well,” the Kryptonian said. “My mate is keeping me on my toes, but I hear yours is doing the same.”

Lena blushed and Kara looked at her sheepishly. “Lena isn’t my mate, Ava. We’re only courting.”

“My apologies,” the Alpha said, looking from Kara to Lena. “I shouldn’t have assumed. My name is Ava of House Sharp, Miss Luthor.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Captain,” Lena greeted. She looked at Winn, who was looking at her anxiously. “C’mere you.”

Winn hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Lena. I tried to convince Astra to change her mind, so did Kara, but…”

“It’s not your fault, Winn. It’ll all be okay,” Lena assured him, though she wasn’t sure she believed it.

“I’ll see you on Argo?” he asked.

Lena nodded. “See you on Argo.”

Winn turned to Kara and pulled her into a tight hug. She whispered something to him, and his eyes widened but he didn’t say anything in return, just looked from her to Lena with an anxious expression.

“We should go, Mr. Schott,” Ava said, turning on her heel and climbing into the nearest pod.

“You know, Captain, you can call me Winn,” he said, grabbing his bag and clambering into the pod with much less grace than the Kryptonian.

Once they were both inside, the top of the pod slid closed and both Ava and Winn fastened their air masks onto their faces. Winn waved back to them as the pod slid away, into an airlock that slid closed behind the ship. With a sudden burst the pod was flung into space, hurtling away from the ship toward another identical ship hovering somewhere else above the Earth.

Lena stared at the airlock with wide eyes, mind buzzing with curiosity. It was her first up-close encounter with a spaceship, and her first instinct was to find a garage somewhere and take it apart piece by piece to analyze exactly how it worked and then put it back together again.

“So… Would you like a closer look?” Kara asked suddenly.

Lena twitched, startled. “What?”

Kara smiled a soft but tense smile. “Come here, I’ll show you.”

She grabbed Lena by the wrist and pulled her over to the nearest pod where she placed Lena’s hand against the cool metal. The pod slid open, revealing space for two or three people to fit inside.

“Once you’re in, you just press this,” Kara said, skimming her hand over a small control panel in front. “They’re all programmed to use autopilot to go to the nearest planet— in this case Earth— unless you switch to manual overdrive. Whatever you do, don’t press the yellow button, press the green one.”

Lena nodded, though she hoped there was never an emergency that would require her to use this information. Kara stared at her expectantly.

“Green button, got it,” Lena said. “Easy enough to remember.”

Kara nodded, then pulled her hand away from the pod. It slid closed again and Kara took Lena’s hand in her own before quickly pulling her across the room.

“Did you see the suits Winn and Ava were wearing?” she asked quickly, her voice slightly frantic.

“Yes,” Lena replied, voice thick with confusion.

Kara opened a door to another room, this one filled with rows of spacesuits hanging on racks.

“The pods are insulated, but entering a planet’s atmosphere can still get hot,” she said. “You need to wear one of these to prevent overheating. And in case the pod fails in some way it can protect you from serious burns, and the mask will provide oxygen in case the pod is breached somehow. Okay?”

“Okay,” Lena replied.

“So make sure you have on a suit when you’re in the pod,” Kara said slowly, as if talking to a small child.

“Okay, Kara, I get it,” Lena said, reaching up to stroke Kara’s cheek. “If there’s an emergency and we have to evacuate, I come here and put on a suit and get in a pod, I get it.”

“Yeah,” Kara said softly, leaning into Lena’s hand, “an emergency.”

Lena cupped Kara’s jaw. “What’s gotten into you? Hmm? What are you so afraid of?”

Kara looked away for a moment, then looked back at Lena with sad eyes.

“I don’t wanna lose you,” she said, pulling Lena close and holding her tightly.

“You’re not gonna lose me, silly Alpha,” Lena said, reaching up and pulling Kara’s face down into a light kiss. “I know you’re upset about what I did, but can you forgive me?”

Kara’s face twisted in a wry smile. “There’s nothing to forgive. In fact, part of me admires you for it. I’ve spent years wishing I could change the way the Collection worked on Earth but too afraid to do anything, too stupid to realize what needed to be done. I don’t know if you intended to change things, Lena, but you’ve sparked something. In a way, I’m proud of you.”

Lena beamed up at the Kryptonian. Kara bent and kissed her again, and this time it felt almost worshipful. When she pulled away, Kara stared down at her reverently.

“I love you, Lena,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. “You were right, you know. When I brought you on board this ship, I didn’t know you. I loved an idea of you. But now I think I do know you. I know scary movies make you cry even more than sad ones. I know you’re ruthlessly competitive but will also take time to teach others how to compete. I know you’re generous and kind and funny. I know you’re cuddly, which was honestly a surprise. I know you wake up early but you can’t really function until you’ve had coffee. I know you’re grumpy when you’re sleepy, but I still think you’re adorable. I love you when you’re angry and fierce and I love you when you’re calm and soft. I love making you smile. I love holding you until you fall asleep. I love that I feel more myself in your presence more than when I’m with anyone else. I just… I love you. It’s the simplest and most fantastic thing I’ve ever felt. And I want you to know that.”

“K— Kara,” Lena stammered, thrown off guard by the sudden declaration. She searched for words, but nothing would come. She grasped Kara tightly by the arms. “I love you, too. I do.”

Kara smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I know you do.”

She bent and kissed Lena again and again, as if she were trying to commit the sensation to memory. Lena’s brain short circuited at the sensation, and all she could do was hold on to Kara’s shoulders for dear life.

——

“Another summons from the General can’t be good.”

Andrea’s words flashed through Lena’s mind as she followed the Kelex robot through the halls of the ship. She had spent most of the day with Kara, until the Alpha was summoned during dinner. An hour later, Lena had been in Andrea and Russ-El’s quarters when a summons had arrived for her.

The control room was quiet when she entered. Kara stood off to one side, and she refused to meet Lena’s eye as she drew closer. Astra stood in the center of the room, a stoic expression on her face.

“You summoned me, General Astra?” Lena said in greeting.

Astra nodded. “We received a transmission from Earth yesterday afternoon. I thought you would like to hear it.”

Kara pressed a button on a control panel, and a stiff, recorded voice filled the air. “By order of the United States Collection Bureau, Lena Luthor’s status as _Collected_ has been removed. Her United States citizenship has been reinstated. She is allowed to return to Earth for visitation or for permanent residence.”

The recording ended, and all Lena could hear was her heart pounding in her chest. She stared wide-eyed at Kara across the room as the ramifications of the declaration set in.

She could go home.

Before the elation could truly set in, Astra was speaking again.

“I’ve been in communication with the High Council on Argo,” the General said. “I have informed them of your actions and their effects on the Collection procedures. I have also informed them of this transmission. Their verdict stands thus: Lena Luthor, upon return to Argo you will be presented to the Council for trial.”

Lena blinked, pulled from her thoughts. “What? But… that recording…”

“Your government may allow you to return to Earth, but the Kryptonian Council will not,” Astra told her. “For hacking into the ship’s network and sending sensitive information to human sources, information that could be used to attack our vessels, you will be arrested and tried upon return to Argo.”

Lena bristled. “You can’t—“

“They can,” Astra said. “As soon as you received the genetic modification, you became a citizen of Argo, whether or not you hold citizenship on Earth or not. You are therefore subject to the Kryptonian justice system.”

“That’s not—“

“Arguing with me is pointless, Miss Luthor,” Astra said sadly. “I am merely communicating the orders from the Council to you. As much as I sympathize with your plight personally, I am first and foremost a soldier and a subject of my government. I will do my duty and present you to the Council when we return to Argo.”

Lena glared at Astra hard enough she could’ve shot laser beams from her eyes. She turned on her heel and exited the control room before releasing a scream of anguish and pent-up anger in the hallway.

“Lena?”

She turned quickly to find Kara standing just inches behind her. She huffed angrily, turning and pacing away from the Kryptonian.

“She can’t do this,” Lena ranted. “ _They_ can’t do this! If the United States government is willing to reinstate my citizenship, she can’t keep me captive. There’s got to be a way, if I can just contact my attorneys again—“

“Do you want to leave?”

Lena turned back to Kara. “That seems kind of moot at this point, Kara, don’t you think?”

“Not to me,” Kara said softly. “Do you want to leave?”

Lena bit her lip. “I don’t… I mean… I don’t know, Kara, okay?”

“How can you not know?” Kara asked.

“It doesn’t matter what I want, though, does it?” Lena demanded. “No matter what I do or you do or anybody else does, I’m trapped here. I don’t get a choice. I’ve tried to make the most of it, I really have. I want to be happy here. I think I could be happy here, or on Argo, with you. I want to be. But I can’t… I just… How am I supposed to be happy when all I feel is anger over having my choices taken from me?”

Lena turned away from Kara angrily, then turned back around just as quickly. “And you! Why didn’t you tell me about the transmission from Earth? It came yesterday afternoon, so you had to know about it earlier today.”

Kara’s jaw clenched. “Yes, I knew about it. But I also knew Astra was contacting the Council about it. I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case they made this decision.”

Lena huffed at that. She couldn’t be angry, really, but she still felt as if Kara had kept something very important from her. She reached up and rubbed her temples.

“I’m going back to my quarters,” she said softly. “I just… I need time to think, I need to be alone.”

“Okay,” Kara said, her voice laced with sadness. “Lena?”

Lena looked up at Kara, only for her lips to be captured in a soft kiss. Kara’s lips were warm and soft and wet. She pulled away quickly, and Lena thought she saw a flash of tears before the Alpha turned and walked away.

Lena couldn’t take the time to process Kara’s abrupt departure. She hurried through the halls to her quarters, uncaring that she was walking alone in the halls. She stepped into her room and rushed to the bedside table…

But her tablet was not where she left it. Lena’s eyes widened in shock as she looked around the room, but the tablet was nowhere to be found. She pulled the covers off her bed, yanked the clothes from the drawers, practically tore the room apart, but she already knew.

They had taken her only way of communicating with Earth.

She sat on the edge of the bed and held her head in her hands as ineffective, angry tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t live her life as a captive, no matter how pleasant the cage. There had to be a way off this ship.

_A way off…_

Lena’s hands dropped to her lap as her mind swirled, an image of a silver pod launching into space filling her thoughts.

There was a way.

She could go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Lena makes a choice.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena makes her choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! (That’s all).

Lena hated flying, and yet she had always been fascinated by the machines that made flight possible. When she was eight Lex had taken her out to an empty field on the edge of the Luthor’s property, near an airfield, and they had watched planes take off and land for hours. Lex had gotten his pilot’s license as soon as he was old enough, and Lena had flown in his little single-engine plane once— and once was enough. Lex had laughed wildly as she breathed deeply into a paper bag and she would’ve hit him if he hadn’t been the one piloting the damn thing.

She stood staring at rows and rows of Kryptonian pods with her heart in her throat. She told herself it was the fear of flying— well, more the fear of crash landing— but she knew that that wasn’t all that kept her frozen in place.

_She could go home._

If she made it back to Earth, she would be allowed to stay. She could return to the life she had before. She could retake the helm at LuthorCorp, return to her apartment. But where she thought she would feel relief, she only felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

She could return to Earth. She could return to working sixteen hour days and sleepless nights and weekends in the office. She could return to her empty apartment.

_Or she could stay._

Her chest tightened. For so long she hadn’t had a choice, and now it was in front of her and it filled her with anxiety.

She could stay. She could spend days in the lab working with Andrea or helping Kara manage the ship. She could share meals with her friends, with Andrea and Russ, with Kelly and Alex, with Kara. She could spend her weekends playing video games she and Winn converted to work on the Kryptonian system, or soaking up the imitation sunlight in the conservatory.

She could go to Argo. Her trial and Kara’s trial filled her with fear, but even that didn’t quash the bit of hope that had taken root in her chest. Hope warred with anxiety at the prospect of going to Argo, but somehow hope continued to win out.

Kara would be on Argo.

Lena’s hand subconsciously went to the necklace that hung around her neck. She wondered briefly if she should leave it, but she hadn’t taken it off since Kara had given it to her and the thought of taking it off now made her hands shake. She didn’t want to leave it.

She didn’t want to leave Kara.

She could still remember the feeling of Kara’s lips against hers as they stood in the room full of spacesuits, after Kara’s declaration of love for her. She had wanted to say more in return— how she loved Kara’s absolute abandon when it came to trying delicious new foods, how she loved Kara soft and warm in the evenings, how she loved Kara’s fierce protection of the people she loved and the ideals she held dear. She loved how Kara always tried to do the right thing, even though sometimes it was impossibly difficult to figure out what the right thing was. She loved that even though they were so different in some ways they were so alike in others, two puzzle pieces seemingly made to fit together in spite of the vast space between them.

The reality was, it had been startlingly easy to fall for the Kryptonian. And now it was proving extremely difficult to let her go.

She could hear Kara’s voice, how soft yet strong it had been when she declared her feelings. It was such a contrast to the warble in her voice as she told Lena to make sure she wore a spacesuit when she was in the pod, or the fierce volume she had used to clarify that Lena knew to press the green button instead of yellow, to turn on the pod’s autopilot instead of manual drive.

Lena’s brow furrowed in confusion. She had been so caught up in her own feelings of relief that Kara was speaking to her after two days of silence, she hadn’t really paid attention to those details at the time. But now they played through her mind on repeat, and something about it struck Lena as odd.

If there was ever an emergency evacuation of the ship, Lena wouldn’t be alone. She would be with Kara, or with Andrea and Russ, or an even larger group of evacuees. Someone was sure to know how to use the pods, someone was sure to instruct them to put on spacesuits before getting inside.

Logically, there was never any time Lena would use one of the pods by herself. Except…

_I don’t wanna lose you._

Lena’s eyes widened as realization struck her. She could almost taste the salt of Kara’s tears when she kissed her earlier that evening.

It felt like a goodbye.

Suddenly Lena’s feet were moving, but not toward the pods. She hurried from the room, to the lift that would take her to the ship’s living quarters, but she didn’t stop at her own door. Instead she rushed past, through the dim hallways, until she came to stand outside the Captain’s quarters.

She placed her hand on the door and it slid open— her privilege to enter unannounced had never been revoked.

There were no lights on in the room, but the room was faintly lit with starlight from the open panel that clearly showed the outside of the ship and the Earth below. Kara stood beside the sofa, leaning with one hand against the window, staring out as if she were waiting for something. She didn’t turn or acknowledge Lena when she entered, just kept watching intently.

Lena’s breath caught in her throat when she realized—

“Do you want me to leave?”

Kara’s entire body shook when she heard Lena’s voice. She dropped her arm and turned to Lena with wide eyes.

“You’re here,” she breathed, voice thick with awe.

“Do you want me to leave?” Lena demanded, crossing the room to stand an arm’s length away from the Kryptonian.

Kara’s jaw clenched and she looked down, away from Lena’s gaze. “I want you to do whatever you want to do. I want you to be happy.”

“But _do you want me to leave_?” Lena repeated again, slowly, enunciating each word.

Kara looked up sharply. “No. No, I don’t. I want you to stay with me.”

“Then why did you show me the pods?” Lena asked. She already knew, but she needed to hear Kara say it.

“I wanted to give you the choice,” Kara said, voice strained. “I knew you could never be happy with me knowing you didn’t consent to be here in the first place. As much as I didn’t want to lose you, I couldn’t keep you here knowing you would be unhappy. It has to be your choice to stay, Lena. Or to go.”

“What did you expect me to do?” Lena asked.

Kara shrugged. “I wasn’t sure. I hoped… _Hope_ you’ll stay. But I just… I wanted to give you the choice.”

Lena swallowed hard and fought down the tears that were threatening to spill over. She stepped closer to Kara, until there was only a hair’s breadth of space between them.

“And what if I choose to stay?” she asked, looking up at the Kryptonian.

Lena could hear the breath that caught in Kara’s throat, could feel how her body tensed and see how her eyes widened with hope.

“Then I would spend every day doing my best to prove to you that you made the right choice,” Kara said resolutely.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Lena’s lips as she leaned forward. “Promise?”

“I promise,” Kara said, but the end of her words were caught in Lena’s mouth.

Lena wasn’t always good at expressing her feelings in words. She couldn’t bring herself to list the numerous things she loved about Kara, or explain how she felt about the other woman. But she hoped that Kara might understand, as she poured every ounce of relief and love and joy she felt into the push and pull of her lips against Kara’s, the way her hands pulled Kara’s body firmly against her own and refused to let go.

They had kissed before, many, many times, but it was never quite like this. Lena’s inhibitions were gone, abandoned on the flight deck of pods that could take her away from this ship and away from Kara. She had made her choice, and her choice was right here, pressed hot against her body. Everything was needy, desperate, tongues and teeth and groping hands memorizing every hard muscle and soft curve. Kara’s hips bucked against hers seemingly with their own volition, and Lena could feel the hard length of her through her pants.

Lena pulled back from the kiss abruptly. “Bedroom.”

Kara made a sound like a whimper as she nodded, but she made no move. Lena grabbed the Alpha’s hand and pulled her to the bedroom. She suddenly remembered Kara’s shy admission a few weeks before, and told herself she needed to slow down, not just for Kara’s sake but for her own. Neither of them was going anywhere, at least not right now, and she wanted to savor this.

Lena pulled Kara in for another kiss, this one just as intense but softer, slower. She cupped Kara’s jaw with one hand, and wrapped her other arm around the Alpha’s waist, pulling her until their bodies were flush once again. Then she moved her hands, exploring up and down Kara’s body, feeling every inch of her beneath the tight navy blue uniform.

Kara’s hands, however, stayed firmly and safely attached to Lena’s hips. Lena pulled back from the kiss and looked at her curiously.

“You can touch me, Kara, you know that,” she said, her voice breathless.

Kara bit her lip. “I just… I want to be sure that you want me to.”

Lena stepped away, clarity sinking in. She looked Kara up and down, from the blonde waves of her hair, messy from Lena’s hands, to her heaving chest, down to where the outline of her cock was visible through the material of her suit leaving no doubt in Lena’s mind that Kara wanted her.

“I want you to take off your uniform and lie back,” Lena said, stepping forward briefly to press a chaste kiss to Kara’s cheek. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Kara replied, voice cracking like a teenage boy’s. She removed her uniform with military efficiency and no finesse, but Lena couldn’t help the way her mouth went dry as inch after inch of golden skin was exposed. Once the fabric was on the floor, leaving Kara in nothing but what looked like a sports bra and compression shorts, Kara reached for the waistband.

“Leave those,” Lena said quickly. Kara looked up sheepishly and nodded before moving quickly onto the bed, scooting back until her head was on the pillows. She met Lena’s eyes and swallowed deeply, the muscles in her neck straining. Lena was struck with the sudden urge to lick those muscles, to bite down and leave a permanent mark showing that Kara was hers.

She intended to take her clothes off slowly, but instead she tore them off quickly, kicking her pants away even as she crawled onto the bed above Kara in only her underwear. She straddled Kara’s hips, heat on heat, separated by thin layers of fabric, and leaned down to kiss Kara again, dipping her tongue into the Kryptonian’s mouth before pulling away to suck at her lower lip.

“Give me your hands,” she said breathlessly, running her own hands down Kara’s arms until she reached the ends. She threaded their fingertips together before moving Kara’s hands to her hips, then up over her waist to her fabric covered breasts. “Touch me wherever you want, Kara. Please.”

Kara tightened her hands around Lena’s breasts and they both moaned at the sensation. Lena captured Kara’s lips again as thumbs traced over her nipples through the thin satin material of Lena’s bra. Kara’s touches were a perfect combination of reverent and rough, sending sparks through Lena’s body until she bucked her hips down into Kara’s.

“Lena,” Kara murmured against her lips, hands plucking at the elastic band of Lena’s bra.

Lena sat back with a grin and reached behind her, unfastening the offending article and tossing it aside. Kara’s eyes widened as she took in Lena’s completely bare upper half for the first time, finally zeroing in on where the necklace hung between Lena’s breasts.

“Yours too,” Lena said, and in a blur Kara yanked awkwardly at her bra and threw it aside. The motion left her sitting up partially, and before Lena knew it she had straightened completely, rocking Lena back to sit in her lap.

At the first sensation of bare skin against bare skin, Kara groaned and Lena sighed, sinking deeper into Kara’s embrace. They kissed briefly before Kara lowered her head, trailing soft kisses along Lena’s neck, beside the thin chain of her necklace, and down further.

“Is this okay?” she asked, glancing up with dark eyes.

“Yes,” Lena sighed, and Kara lowered her lips to Lena’s breast, pressing small kisses to the soft skin on the side before sucking the tip between her lips. Lena rocked against her, unable to stop her hips from moving, and reached down to run her fingers up Kara’s sides until she was cupping the Alpha’s breasts in her own hands. When Kara began sucking rhythmically at her breasts, switching from one and then to the other, Lena’s hips rocked in time to the sensation against Kara’s cock and a slightly-embarrassing sounding whine escaped her throat.

“Lena,” Kara said breathlessly as one ragged thrust brought Lena’s center tight against Kara and the heat seemed to pass between them. She looked up at Lena with dark eyes, cerulean iris swallowed by pupil, desperation written in her features.

Lena gasped again at Kara’s expression. “Lie back.”

Kara did as she was told, eyes still fixed on Lena as she reclined into the pillows. Lena moved lower and pulled the Alpha’s shorts from her body, leaving her blessedly bare. Her cock sprang free, along with the strong scent of her Alpha musk. The purple head bounced up almost to Kara’s belly button, leaking precum as it pulsed. Lena swallowed hard and moved back up over Kara’s body.

“Wait, Lena,” Kara said, grasping Lena’s wrist as she reached out to touch her. “Are you sure you want this?”

Lena was caught between the urge to groan at Kara’s reticence or laugh at the sheer absurdity of her question. She pulled her hand free and pushed her panties down, moving awkwardly over Kara to get them off one leg and then the other. Then she grabbed Kara’s hand and brought it between her legs.

“I’m sure, Kara.” She groaned as Kara’s fingers slipped through wet heat. “Can’t you tell? Feel how much I want this.”

Kara’s hand moved of its own volition, sliding through Lena’s folds. Lena groaned and threw her head back as Kara circled her clit, then moved lower and slipped one finger inside.

“Fuck!” Lena shouted, hips circling at the intrusion. “Another, god, Kara…”

Kara added another finger to Lena’s heat and Lena groaned, moving to fuck herself against Kara’s hand. The Kryptonian stared up at her with wide eyes, her focus moving rapidly from Lena’s face to her swaying breasts, blue pendant bobbing between them, and finally down to where her fingers disappeared to the knuckle. And when she moved her thumb and it brushed over Lena’s clit.

“Stop!” Lena shouted, grabbing at Kara’s wrist. “Stop, stop, oh god…”

“What?” Kara exclaimed. “Did I hurt you?”

Lena smiled softly. “No, darling, it’s good, _so_ good. I just don’t want to come yet.”

Kara’s expression turned puzzled. “Why not?”

Lena leaned down until her lips were brushing the shell of Kara’s ear. “I want to come with you inside me.”

Kara whined and her hips bucked, pushing into the hand that was still buried inside Lena. Lena grunted at the sensation, and reached down to pull Kara’s fingers free. Kara’s hands immediately went to Lena’s hips, wet fingers digging into one side, as Lena reached for the Alpha’s cock and lined her up. Kara watched her movements, breath coming in sharp gasps.

“Kara,” Lena said softly, pulling Kara’s attention back until she met Lena’s gaze. Then Lena sank down.

They both groaned aloud as Lena began taking Kara inside. Kara’s hands clenched at Lena’s hips hard enough that Lena was certain that she would bruise, but the sensation only added to Lena’s satisfaction. The stretch of it was almost too much, and the sharp pain mixed with hot pleasure drove Lena on. She sank down until Kara was halfway inside her and paused to adjust. She opened eyes that she hadn’t even realized were closed and stared down at Kara’s face.

Kara looked up at her like she was seeing the sun for the first time. Her hips jogged slightly, pressing herself further into Lena, and they both groaned. Lena bent down and kissed Kara deeply before she began rolling her hips, sinking further down and then coming up slightly, taking Kara deeper and deeper with each motion, until she came to rest against Kara’s pubic bone.

Kara gasped at the wet heat surrounding her, breathing something that sounded like Lena’s name against her lips. Lena moved away but Kara’s hands tightened painfully on her hips and she growled against Lena’s neck.

“Shh,” Lena coaxed, reaching down to take Kara’s hands in her own. She moved them up over her body, showing Kara where she wanted to be touched, as her lower body began to move. She rolled her hips in a smooth infinity symbol, pulling away from Kara only to sink back down until she could grind her clit against Kara’s pubic bone, and then she repeated the motion. For several long minutes Kara lay there bonelessly, adjusting to the sensations, until Lena bent and nipped at her collarbone.

It was as if the bite spurred something inside Kara. She dug her heels into the bed and began thrusting her own hips up to meet Lena’s. The added force pushed Kara’s cock even deeper and made the impact against Lena’s clit even more intense with every thrust. Lena cried out, hands scrambling for purchase on Kara’s abs to hold herself up and hold on as each movement sent her closer and closer to climax.

“Kara,” she groaned. “‘M close, Kara.”

The Alpha sat up suddenly and pulled Lena flush against her. One arm circled Lena’s waist and pulled her closer even as Kara continued thrusting up into her. The angle held her in deep, though her thrusts were smaller and shallower. Kara’s lips went to Lena’s neck, sucking at the skin there.

“Mine,” she murmured into the skin.

“Yes,” Lena gasped as she found the right angle with her hips to grind her clit against Kara with every small thrust. “Yes, yours, yours, and you’re mine.”

Kara grunted against her and suddenly it was too much. Pleasure burst like an overfilled balloon inside Lena, and she cried out as her body convulsed around Kara. Kara shuddered beneath her, and Lena could feel the warmth of her climax inside her.

For a long moment, all Lena could concentrate on was the sound of their labored breathing as hot air condensed against already-sweaty skin on her neck. But slowly her consciousness began to regain control, and she realized something. She pulled her body away from Kara’s until she could look her in the eyes.

“You didn’t knot me,” she said, her voice a mixture of accusation and question. “You didn’t bite me, either.”

“I wasn’t sure if you were ready for that,” Kara panted, shifting uncomfortably beneath Lena.

Lena reached up and captured Kara’s cheeks between her palms. “Jesus, Kara, I’m here, aren’t I? I chose you, to be with you, and I didn’t mean for just one night. I want to be yours, Kara, so make me yours.”

Kara growled fiercely and flipped them holding Lena’s body against hers as she did so. Before she could breathe Lena was on her back, pressed into the mattress beneath Kara’s solid weight.

“Is this okay?” Kara asked, looking down at Lena with eyes that showed only a sliver of blue.

“Yes,” Lena replied, and Kara sighed in relief before kissing her fiercely.

Somehow, in all the commotion, Kara had never slipped free of Lena’s body, had never even gone soft from her first orgasm. Her hips began moving, thrusting in and out of Lena with zero finesse, her inexperience showing for a long minute. Then she hit a spot within Lena that drove all the air from her lungs with a cry and made her dig her short nails into Kara’s back. Kara looked down at her, again assessing whether her sounds were pleasure or pain before she repeated the motion, rotating her hips smoothly so that each thrust hit that rough patch inside Lena that made her lose her mind.

“Yes,” Lena cried again, clutching Kara closer to her. “Fuck, Kara, harder, right there, please. Fuck me harder.”

Never one to deny Lena anything, Kara did as she was told, rocking into Lena harder and faster than before. The scent of their coupling filled the room, the heavy musk of sex mixed with Kara’s spicy pheromones and Lena’s sweeter ones, and the scent just propelled Lena further toward another orgasm, and she could already tell that this one would be even better than the first.

Kara whimpered and growled beside Lena’s ear, and Lena realized her thrusts weren’t hitting quite as deeply as before. She looked down between them and could see the swelling flesh at the base of Kara’s cock, preventing her from getting all the way back in.

Lena knew, rationally, that her body could take it, that the genetic modification had changed her slightly so that she could take an Alpha’s knot. Hell, it drove her instinctively to want it, to crave it, even when she wasn’t in heat. But seeing the bulge of it pressed up against her entrance and looking just _so big_ against the stretched flesh sent a shiver of trepidation through her to war with her desire.

“Kara,” she murmured.

“It’s alright,” Kara replied, pulling up and kissing Lena softly. “You can do it, Lena. You feel so good, so good around me. Wanna make you mine, wanna be yours, so fucking much.”

“Yes,” Lena groaned, and she felt a gush of slick between her legs, coating Kara’s knot at the Alpha’s words. “Yes, please, make me yours. Bite me. Give me your knot, Kara, fuck, _fu— ah_!”

Kara gave one hard thrust and Lena thought she might tear in half as she stretched around Kara’s knot. Then Kara lowered her head and bit down hard where Lena’s neck met her shoulder, and after a brief flash of pain, pleasure like Lena had never known overwhelmed her senses. It travelled from Kara’s bite down to Lena’s sex like a live wire, and with a satisfying pop Kara’s knot slipped inside and Lena’s flesh closed around it, molding to the welcome intrusion. Lena wasn’t sure what triggered her orgasm, the bite or the knot, but what followed was unlike anything Lena had felt before.

Stars exploded behind Lena’s eyes as she came, screaming Kara’s name as her body arched. Her climax raced through her with every thumping beat of her heart, every spasm of her cunt around Kara’s cock, sending warm waves of pleasure all the way to the tips of her toes and her curling fingertips before racing back to where they were joined.

Kara was coming too, moaning into her hold on Lena’s neck as jet after jet of hot cum rushed against Lena’s cervix. Finally, when the spurts began to taper off, Kara pulled back and laved her tongue over the raw flesh of Lena’s mating bite, speeding up the healing process. Without much thought, Lena turned her head and bit hard into Kara’s neck, and the Alpha cried out as another strong pulse of release emptied inside Lena. The knot kept it all securely inside Lena, a comforting warmth that echoed the contentment in her heart and mind.

Kara rolled them softly, as they were still locked together, until they rested on their sides, arms still wrapped around each other, legs intertwined. Lena’s head fit perfectly against the curve of the Alpha’s throat, so she tucked it there, gazing at the teeth marks in Kara’s skin as she drifted into sleep.

There were still so many uncertainties, Lena knew that. But she knew one thing for certain now.

She had made her choice, and it was Kara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... is this still technically dub-con?
> 
> Also, how was my first Alpha-Omega sex scene? Because I’ve written sex but I’ve never written anything quite like that.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will basically have 4 arcs, and Chapter 20 concluded the first arc. This chapter is sort of transitioning us to the second. Basically what I’m saying is this is gonna be a whole ass novel and shoo... I’m intimidated by the thought but also excited.

When Lena awoke the next morning, her first conscious thought was that somehow she must’ve kicked the covers off because her legs were cold but her torso was sweating beneath the sheets still wrapped around her. Her next thought was something warm and wet pressing kisses against her thighs, moving further up. Lena opened bleary eyes to see a blonde head between her legs and blue eyes watching her with curious attention. Then Kara nosed gently at her cleft and ran her tongue through her pussy all the way up to her clit.

Lena didn’t do much thinking after that.

There was a considerable amount of pleasured gasping as Kara explored her with her tongue and lips, finding all the small sensitive points of flesh and deft motions that drove Lena wild. Then there were moans, first soft and then deep quaking moans as Kara fucked her with her tongue. Lena’s hips bucked against Kara’s face and her hands pulled hard at blonde locks as she chased her orgasm until finally Kara moved her thumb to stroke Lena’s clit. Three quick passes later Lena felt as if her body collapsed in on itself as her orgasm raced through her nerve endings.

She might’ve lost consciousness for a moment, because the next thing Lena knew was the mattress shifting as Kara crawled up, chin still glistening with Lena’s cum, a smug look on her face.

“God, Kara, I thought you said you were a virgin,” Lena huffed as Kara pulled the sheet from between them so their naked bodies could press flush against each other.

Kara looked up with wide eyes. “I am! Or, well, I was.”

She blushed then, further proving her point. Lena couldn’t help but smile at that, and pull her closer in her embrace. “Then where did you learn to do _that_?”

“Er, um, reading,” Kara said lowly, blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears and down her neck. A low purr rumbled in her throat with every exhale and her own arousal pressed hotly into Lena’s leg.

Lena’s eyes widened. “Kara Zor-El, what kind of books have you been reading?”

“I thought it best to be… prepared,” Kara told her.

“Well, you certainly were,” Lena said, reaching up with her thumb to wipe the slick from Kara’s chin. Kara nuzzled into Lena’s touch before opening her lips and sucking Lena’s thumb into her mouth. The move sent a fresh jolt of arousal through Lena’s system and pulled a gasp from her throat.

Kara gave Lena an appraising look. “Are you sore? Or…”

“No, I’m not sore,” Lena replied, pulling Kara closer. “But if you’d like to fix that…”

Kara didn’t need to be told twice. Lena parted her legs as Kara moved between them and groaned as Kara entered her. Kara thrust once, twice, until she was pressed fully into Lena, and then she froze, enjoying the sensation. Lena dug her nails into Kara’s shoulders, drawing her attention.

“What do you need?” Kara asked, pressing a quick kiss to Lena’s lips before nuzzling into the raw bite mark on her neck.

“I need you to fuck me,” Lena hissed as teeth scraped over the still sensitive flesh. “Fuck me, and don’t be gentle.”

Kara growled deeply and her weight settled heavy on Lena’s torso for a moment before she pulled away. She kissed Lena again, but this time it was hard and raw, teeth and tongue claiming as she braced one hand on the bed beside Lena’s head and her hips began moving in a deep, merciless pattern that had Lena spreading her legs even wider and digging her toes into the top of Kara’s ass.

When the knot began forming at the base of Kara’s cock and pressed into Lena’s flesh, she pulled away from Kara’s lips with a gasp. She looked down at the swollen flesh glistening between them and then up at Kara.

“Do it,” she said, raising her hips to meet Kara’s thrusts. “Please, Kara—“

Her pleading turned into a loud grunt as Kara shifted her hips and began pressing her knot inside, stretching Lena’s sensitive flesh.

“Ask me again,” Kara huffed. “You ask for it so pretty, Lena. Ask me again.”

The thought that Lena should be ashamed for such wanton begging pierced through the heavy fog of intense arousal, but only for a moment as her flesh began stretching anew with yet another thrust. With Kara she was safe to give in to whatever desires she felt.

“Please,” she gasped as Kara pressed against her. “Please, Kara, knot me. I need it, god, I need you, _please_.”

Kara groaned above her and gave two powerful thrusts, shifting her hips slightly until, with a stretch that made Lena cry out, her knot was fully sheathed inside. A moment later they were both coming, Lena clenching around Kara’s length and milking it of cum as Kara shuddered above her and emptied in powerful jets inside her.

“Lena,” Kara muttered weakly against her brow as she came down. Her muscles relaxed one at a time as her body collapsed into Lena, firm weight pinning her even further into the mattress. “Lena…”

“Mmm,” Lena hummed in reply, nuzzling her face into Kara’s cheek. They held each other like that for several long minutes, comfortably joined.

“I could stay like this forever,” Kara said when she was finally able to control her breathing. She hugged Lena close just as her knot gave way and her cock slipped from Lena’s warmth. They both sighed at the sensation.

“We could always go again, if you want?” Lena said, surprising herself. She had never felt like this with any of her past lovers, but then again, she had never loved any of them the way she loved Kara.

“Ugh, don’t tempt me,” Kara groaned, bending her neck to bury her face between Lena’s breasts. She pressed a soft kiss to Lena’s sternum. “I don’t think we’ll get much of a honeymoon this close to the start of the Collection. We’d only get leave if you were in heat or I was in rut, and that won’t happen again anytime soon.”

Lena’s hands froze where they had been tracing the muscles of the Alpha’s back. “When will that happen, do you think?”

“Most Omegas have their first heat about six months after the modification procedure,” Kara said, looking up at her. “And my rut should hit around the same time, might even be triggered by your heat.”

“That feels like too soon and really far away at the same time,” Lena speculated.

Kara nodded, chin bumping against Lena’s chest. “We can still give you a suppressant, if you want, when the time comes. Or figure out some kind of contraceptive, if you don’t want pups.”

Lena ran her fingers through Kara’s hair, untangling blonde strands. “I’m not sure what I want anymore. But the idea of children with you… I might want that.”

Kara looked at her with wide eyes. “Really?”

Lena chuckled. “Really. But let’s just enjoy me and you for now, hmm? We’ll worry about babies and contraceptives when the time comes.”

“Mmhmm,” Kara murmured in agreement, burying her face in Lena’s chest again. A soft purr rumbled from her throat.

“You like my boobs, huh?” Lena asked, idly stroking Kara’s hair.

“Mmhmm,” Kara rumbled again. Lena couldn’t help but laugh loudly and the motion jostled Kara’s head where it rested on her chest.

“We have to get up,” Lena said finally, though she made no move to actually get out of bed.

“I know,” Kara grumbled, rolling to her side. “Shower?”

Lena raised a brow. “Do you think you can keep your hands to yourself?”

“Nope,” Kara said with a coy grin.

Lena laughed again, kicking the covers off her feet. “That’s good, because I don’t think I can either.”

——

One very handy shower later, Lena stepped naked into the closet. Kara had purchased so many clothes in anticipation of her arrival that they had only moved some of them to her smaller quarters, so most of them were still stored here. Lena put on a set of simple lace underwear from the cabinet and then began sorting through the clothes.

“How about this one?” Kara asked, tone thick with feigned innocence as she pulled a blue sweater from the rack. Lena inspected the item and realized quickly that the neck was rather large and low, exposing plenty of skin and cleavage.

“Do you want me to wear it because you like seeing my boobs or because you’ll be able to see my mark?” she asked, raising a brow at Kara as they carried their clothes into the bedroom.

The Alpha’s expression turned sheepish. “Both.”

Lena just chuckled at her. “You know, on Earth, if you got a hickey, you usually tried to cover it up.”

Kelex floated into the room, interrupting them. “Andrea Rojas requests entry.”

“Let them in,” Lena said with a grin. “This should be fun.”

“Lena!” Kara exclaimed, yanking a clean uniform off its hanger. “We’re not dressed yet.”

“Oh please, when we were nineteen, I once walked in on Andrea and her boyfriend, the guy was balls deep and they didn’t even stop,” Lena scoffed. “This is nothing.”

Kara’s eyes widened. “That was… not a visual that I needed. But what did you do?”

“I grabbed my charger and left them to it,” Lena shrugged. “Like I said, this is nothing.”

And it would’ve been nothing, if Andrea had been alone. Kelex, however, had failed to mention that she was accompanied by Russ-El and Alex and Kelly. Kara held her uniform over her front defensively as all four people frantically entered the bedroom.

“Kara we can’t find Le—“ Andrea began, eyes widening as she took in their appearance. Russ stared at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the universe. Kelly began giggling and Alex rubbed her temples, muttering what Lena thought were Kryptonian curses under her breath.

“Well, you found me,” Lena said, stepping into a pair of pants. “What did you need?”

“You— I— Kara— You—“ Andrea sputtered.

“Look, Kara, I think we’ve broken her,” Lena teased as she pulled the blue sweater over her head. She adjusted the neckline, making sure that the straps of her bra were out of the way and that her mating bite and cleavage were both fully displayed.

“You’ve mated!” Andrea exclaimed finally.

“We did,” Kara said, now fully dressed in her uniform. Her voice was low and possessive, and she stepped closer to Lena as if she might need to defend her.

Andrea’s stunned expression turned rapidly to suspicion. “Lena, what happened?”

“It was my choice, Andy, truly,” Lena assured her friend, stepping forward and reaching out to hold her arms. “She gave me a choice.”

“You really went through with it then?” Alex asked, looking at Kara with a mixture of exasperation and shock.

“Went through with what?” Russ asked, finally looking down now that both women were dressed.

Lena looked back at Kara and the Kryptonian sighed.

“I showed Lena how to use the escape pods yesterday,” she said.

Kelly and Andrea gasped. Alex shook her head.

“You did what?” Russ exclaimed.

“She had the option to return to Earth, Russ. She deserved to have the choice.”

Russ-El looked back at the ceiling, as if the answers to all life’s questions might be written there.

“Dammit, Captain, I should report this,” he said, lowering his head. “But I won’t. She didn’t escape so you aren’t guilty of helping a person facing Council charges avoid judgment, at least not technically.”

“Thank you, Russ,” Lena said earnestly.

“You chose her?” Andrea asked, pulling Lena’s attention back.

“She gave me my freedom back, Andy,” Lena said softly. “And I realized that the future I want is here with her. Is that so hard to believe?”

Suddenly Lena was pulled into a bone-crushing hug by a very pregnant and very emotional Andrea Rojas. Andrea sniffed dramatically into Lena’s shoulder.

“I didn’t want you to be forced to stay but I wouldn’t want you to leave and I thought that made me a horrible friend and I’m so glad you’re still here,” Andrea said rapidly into Lena’s shoulder between sniffles. Tears ran down her cheeks and dripped onto Lena’s bare shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Lena said, rubbing her friend’s back. “It doesn’t make you a horrible friend. I wanted to stick around for you, too.”

Andrea reached up to wipe away tears again. “Dammit, stupid hormones. I swear, I cry daily anymore.”

Lena just chuckled, her own eyes damp, but before she could wipe them she was pulled into yet another hug. She wrapped her arms around Kelly’s torso and leaned into the other Omega.

“I’m so glad you two figured it out,” Kelly said, her own voice shaky with happy tears.

“Well, I think you knew from the start that we were good together,” Lena replied when she finally pulled away.

“I had a hunch,” Kelly said with a shrug. “You two are so similar, you know?”

“Trust me, I know,” Lena said, looking at Kara who blushed shyly.

“But different enough not to drive each other crazy. Or to drive the rest of us crazy,” Alex said, pulling Lena in for another hug that was unexpected.

Across the small space, Kara growled possessively.

Alex looked up and raised a brow toward her adoptive sister. “Hey, settle down, killer. She’s my new sister, now, I’m allowed to hug her.”

Kara scowled. Lena rolled her eyes and released a sweet scent into the air. Immediately Kara’s shoulders relaxed.

“Thank goodness somebody can do that now,” Alex said. She looked down at the bite mark on Lena’s shoulder. “I have some ointment that will make that heal faster. It’ll still scar just fine, but the healing process will be a lot faster. I’ll have Kelex fetch it.”

“Thank you,” Lena replied, reaching up to prod gently at the raw flesh.

“You might want to put on a different shirt,” Russ suggested hesitantly.

“And why should she do that?” Kara demanded.

“Look, I’m not saying you shouldn’t announce your mating,” Russ backpedaled. “Her scent will do that enough, believe me. Everyone in the dining hall is going to know as soon as she walks in that you two have mated. But there are still some in the crew— mostly Ty-Vel’s kin— who may not take it well. They’ve cut ties with him over his actions, but they’re still unhappy with the entire situation. Flaunting a mating bite might not be the best idea at the moment, especially with the Collection about to start.”

Kara frowned, clearly unhappy at the proposition. Lena could almost see the primal Alpha side of her warring with the disciplined part of her brain that made her Captain of the ship.

“Kara, I’ve already disrupted things enough,” she said, reaching for the Alpha’s hand. “Besides, seeing a fresh mating mark might scare some of the women coming aboard in the next few days. Russ has a point.”

“Still don’t like it,” Kara muttered.

Lena sighed. “Give us a minute? We’ll be at breakfast in just a few minutes.”

The others nodded and left. Lena turned to Kara again.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, hmm?”

“I just want everyone to know you’re mine,” Kara said softly, pulling Lena back into her embrace. The warmth of their bodies pressed together sent equal parts contentment and arousal coursing through Lena’s body. Kara lowered her head and rubbed her cheek and neck against Lena’s face, then moved lower, rubbing like a cat all over Lena’s body and releasing thick, spicy pheromones as she did so.

“Oh my god, you’re scent marking me!” Lena exclaimed, surprised but not angry.

“You can do me, if you want,” Kara said brightly, as if she was thrilled by the idea.

“I’m not… dammit, I’m a fucking cat now,” Lena said, as she awkwardly moved her hair aside and copied Kara’s motions, focusing on releasing sweet, claiming pheromones. “There. Are you happy now?”

“Very,” Kara replied with a wide smile and a quick nod.

“So I can wear a turtleneck and you won’t be upset?” Lena asked, ducking back into the closet.

Kara muttered a Kryptonian curse before agreeing. “Yeah, I guess.”

Lena pulled on a solid black sweater with a high neck, then pulled her hair up into a tight ponytail. The look emphasized her sharp jaw and high cheekbones.

“What do you think?” she asked, stepping out of the closet again.

Kara pulled her close and kissed her, softly at first, then deep, claiming.

“I think you’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen no matter what you wear,” she replied. “I’m just… partial to lower cuts.”

Lena chuckled. “Well, we can save that sweater for another day, don’t you think?”

“Mmhmm,” Kara agreed. A loud rumbling noise pulled their attention lower, and Kara blushed.

“Hungry?” Lena asked. “I guess you built up quite an appetite last night, although I would’ve thought you’d eaten your fill this morning.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get my fill of you,” Kara said, her voice low. She kissed Lena again, but her stomach growled loudly, and this time Lena’s stomach echoed the sound.

“Okay, Alpha, I need you to provide for your Omega in other ways now,” Lena ordered with a laugh and a wag of her eyebrows. “Feed me, please.”

“I can do that,” Kara said quickly. “I can definitely do that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal life is still crazy so updates will happen when they happen, and I have no idea when that will be.


	22. PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update

Hello Dear Readers,

When I started writing The Collection, I had no plan, not even an outline, no idea where the story was going to go. I also had absolutely no idea how popular the story would become, how many awesome people would read it.

But now I'm 20 chapters into it and I started having some issues with some creative decisions I made early in the writing process. I ended up with horrible writer's block due to a side story. I had what I thought was a better idea pop up in my head, and I couldn't shake it. I couldn't continue the story I had going knowing there was just something NOT RIGHT with it. So I made the difficult decision to go back and edit and rewrite and fix what I saw as a problem so I could continue the story.

So am going to be posting the new version of The Collection at this link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23047423

I will say, my main change to the narrative is the Alex/Kelly pairing. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Dansen on the show, but it just wasn't working for me in this story. I think a lot of you will probably guess what I'm going to change. But that is the main reason I went back and edited. So I hope nobody is offended by that. The main story is still Supercorp, and it will remain unchanged, but those who have already read this version will definitely want to go back and reread to see the changes in this side-story, because it's going to become a main story pretty soon (as in the next couple of chapters).

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who is reading this story. Thank you for your comments, especially through recent personal struggles I have had. Thank you for your patience as real life kept me from updating. I'm hoping these changes will also help me move forward with writing, and it's going to be amazing.

Sincerely,  
Emilia Rowan

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments and kudos, and you can find me on tumblr @emiliarowan

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Collection 2.0](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23047423) by [Emilia_Rowan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilia_Rowan/pseuds/Emilia_Rowan)




End file.
